


Can he hear us?

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Lost in Space (TV 1965)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apologies, Canon Dialogue, Dialogue Heavy, Doubt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Forgiveness, Future Fic, Gen, Heartbreaking, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Post-Canon, Post-Episode: s1e08 Invaders From the Fifth Dimension, Protective Robinsons, Stand Alone, Time Skips, Uncertainty, Will Robinson Needs a Hug, certain episodes, hard choices, no, reinterpeting episodes, will i stop breaking your heart?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23684503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: Moments in the Robinsons life after Smith's unexpected but highly expected nervous breakdown.
Kudos: 1





	1. Post episode

"Is he going to be okay, dad?"

John turned toward his son then shook his head.

"No, Will." John said, certainly. "He wasn't trained for this."

"Not like we were." Maureen chimed, somberly.

John shifted his attention upon the ill man resting in the bed snoring away.

"We are lucky that his breakdown just involved taking you to a clearing and there wasn't any wildlife there to attack you." John said.

Will turned away from Smith's resting figure. 

"Well, he will get better eventually." Will said.

John sucked in a breath placing his hands on his hips and Maureen closed her eyes then squeezed them.

"William, he is not going to get better any time soon." John said.

"Why not?" Will asked.

"He wants to go home very badly." Maureen said. "He never wanted to leave Earth. Not like we do. The only way that he will ever get better is if we get him to Earth."

"And he will be happy for once." Don interjected then chuckled. "Smith, being happy and sane?" Don shook his head as Judy and Penny smiled with fondness at the idea. "That is unlikely as a flying space pig." 

"We are in a entirely different galaxy." John continued on from where Maureen dropped off. "And we are extremely lost."

"And many aliens don't wish to violate the galactic prime directive." Maureen said. "Hapgood was a rare exception."

"If not us, why not him?" Will asked. "He needs medical attention. He may be nosy, mean, and lazy but that doesn't mean he will try to kill someone trying to bring him home."

"He isn't going to be the same man who crashed here with us." John looked down upon the boy with pity in his eyes and sorrow. Will's demeanor fell. "He will be unbearable."

"Unbearable?" Will grew alarmed then folded his arms. "That is a lot to say about him---even if he did take me hiking and throw away my radio." he flipped his hand over, palm revealed, as a display of what he didn't have. "He wasn't unbearable before then."

"Much of his threatening personality will by over written by his mental illness," John said.

"But know this, Will. . ." Maureen said. "At any time, he may try to kill us all and we will have to put him down for his own good."

And she already hated herself for saying words like these. It was the most undignified moment for her as she summoned a gulp down keeping her feelings at bay on the matter, the hurt, the distress, regret, and anger at it. She looked inside the cabin with her hands in her lap. As did the rest of the silent onlookers looking on worried about the man who was at peace but it wasn't going to last for long.

"By the time that has to be done, you may be a man by then." Don noted.

Will's attention shifted off Smith then nodded. 

"Then I will do it." Will said.

"Will. . ." Maureen said. 

"I did say yes to going on that hike with him." Will reminded his parents. "I did watch Doctor Smith break down. I did watch him fall apart." the parents grimaced at the reminder of what had happened only hours ago. Frantic hours searching for the duo through the landscape side by side with John in the Chariot. "It is only fitting that a friend be there for him. . . or see him come back together against all the odds!"

Maureen smiled at her optimistic son as did John.

"He is a man, Will." Maureen said. "You will have his blood on your hands."

"But, it would be worth it." Will argued back. "If you, dad, or Don did it; it would only be worse."

"Worse is you doing it, Will." Penny said. 

"It is the best case scenario." Don said. "It is a adult matter."

"He would be crying and pleading for his life thinking that you are aliens!" Will exclaimed then the family became silent as the horror settled upon them on the comment. Will sighed, settling down, then gulped down the feelings that were quite upsetting when it came to the discussion. "I have only known the _real_ Doctor Smith for a few months but I know that he would rather go with dignity and be remembered the way that he was before!"

Don looked off, dreamily, to a fantasy of just exactly that then he winced as it became a nightmare with the way that it would play out. 

"Taking away a life at a young age. . ." John reminded Will with a shake of his hand. "It isn't going to be anything the way that you have seen on the television."

Will thought it over a for a moment then nodded. 

"I know." Will said. "I want to do it." Will nodded in defiance, his chest puffed out, his hands closed into fists. "I want to help him in any way I can."

"Watching the life go out of his eyes is a entirely different matter compared to exploring and meeting strange aliens." Maureen said.

"Death is always going to be part of my life, now that we are lost." Will reminded the patriarch and the matriarch of the family. "It is time I greet it head on."

"This is a big responsibility keeping watch over him." John said. "Son, it won't be easy. He will slip out from under your eyes."

"Aren't all pets that way?" Will asked.

John smiled then the was the first to laugh that was joined by other members of the family as the professor closed the door to the older man's cabin and the laughter echoed in the ship with a tinge of sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hit me as one chapter with Will being in it that features the dread, the sorrow, and the sadness poetically but instead it became a far larger story in different time periods gathering all the Robinsons family members that were added in each version into one timeline. Except for David Robinson.


	2. season 1

From then on, Will watched pieces of his friend fall around him. It wasn't chunks of flesh or pieces of his limbs but pieces of his personality that were scattered around of who he used to be. Will watched his friend become someone else; afraid of his shadow and seeing things that weren't there. Then came the episode where they found the crown and the next twenty-four hours were wild then.

That night, Will watched as the largest chunk of them all walked away and the good-but-demented version remained becoming kinder than he had been before. Will's heart ached at the information that he were becoming privy to. Information that he knew in his heart as his hands clenched against the palms digging in leaving fine imprints. He watched as his friend became a shadow of himself and it broke him into pieces by the inside.

Will clenched harder on to hope that they would a find way to bring him to Earth.

It took them hours to find Smith that night and bring him back to the ship.

* * *

"Will?"

Will turned away from the napping man after he were standing for hours at a time outside after walking away in a trance like state. It had been a strange day as Smith saw signs that weren't there and Penny was brought in by her own accord with dreams of her own. A simple candy that she fantasized day in and day that she imaged were there as she wandered away from the site.

"Yes, Penny?" Will asked. "Do you lose Debbie the Bloop?"

Penny joined his side.

"Debbie is okay." Penny said as she played with her fingers. "Can I help you take care of him?"

Will smiled, then nodded.

"You can." Will said.

Will held his hand out and Penny took it then squeezed his hand.

"Long as we got each other, it is going to be easy." Penny said.

Will grinned.

* * *

Smith wandered away after giving a farewell while the men were searching for more beds of water to collect for the Jupiter 2. Maureen wondered to herself, if only briefly, if he understood the gravity of the situation. That they didn't have enough water for the entire family and that he were sacrificing himself for their sake, fantasy or no fantasy, it was a matter that she wanted to believe in.

"Penny, Doctor Smith is under the impression that everything he touches becomes a different material. If he does touch you . . ." Maureen winced at the fact that crossed her mind. "He won't notice that he is not alone."

"He is going to be there for weeks," Penny said.

"Not if we leave him alone." Judy said.

"This time, we know where to find him." Penny said.

"And this time, he will wander further into the wilderness instead of rejoining the Jupiter 2 like many of his other episodes," Maureen warned. "We did just find his old one and get 'arrested' to the Jupiter 2. Seems we have to wait him out."

"But, he will get himself killed if we don't actively search for him." Penny said. "Being out there for so long is worrying."

"Have you seen Doctor Smith scream in front of things that aren't there? He frightened Debbie so there is a precedence." Maureen put a hand on Penny's shoulder then gave it a squeeze and smiled upon her daughter. "Give him some faith. "

Penny looked on toward the window of the Jupiter 2, searching the landscape for the older man, then shifted her attention upon her mother and sister.

"I will." Penny said with a small nod.

"Pretending to be a sheriff, a criminal, and himself." Judy said. "He will be back soon at any rate as one of them."

"But as who?" Maureen asked, grimacing, at the question as did the other women. "A insane man? A galactic law enforcement officer running after imaginary criminals on the planet? Or a space fugitive?"

"It doesn't matter." Penny said. "What matters is that Doctor Smith will be back and his episode will be over at the end of the day."

The thought was comforting to the women but Maureen was the one most disturbed by the question. She didn't get a smile on her face from the comment. What she did get was be very unhappy and grave. Maureen looked on then walked toward the front window of the ship searching as her daughter had for the older man, hoping against her personal demons, as her daughters looked on in concern.

"What is it, mother?" Judy asked.

"It has been a twenty-four hours." Maureen said. "We haven't found him anywhere. Not in his usual hiding spots. This episode is far different, children."

"Throwing everything apart searching for the ring." Judy said. "Least it kept him busy."

"The busiest that I have ever seen him aboard the Jupiter." Penny said.

"Work," Maureen said then laughed. "The silver lining is that he finally cleaned up his room."

The women erupted into fits of laughter in amusement and Penny wiped off some of the tears that spread from along her eyes as she shook her head as her laughter became sniffles then was enveloped in a hug by the older women. The women stood that way in a group hug in the mist of uncertainty that one of their own was going to return from the episode. It was Judy and Maureen who backed out of the hug.

"We will have to search tomorrow for him and maybe then his episode will be over." Judy said.

"If not, the men will find him." Penny said.

The women nodded in unison.

* * *

Penny returned the next evening with Smith in tow munching on a cactus branch as though it were a berry.

Everything was better for the moment, the women assumed.

They hoped it was after the episode had ended. Maureen swept the older man's cabin then found a dead flower and twirled it in her finger tips. She slipped the flower between the layers of two pages and slipped it back into the bookshelf of the older man's room. She closed the door to his cabin then went on about the next chore with her children cleaning the freezing tubes on a daily basis with rags.

* * *

"We have to leave tonight." John said.

It was the definite comment about the planet that they had called home for a year as each member of the family were at the table. The planet was getting ready to fall apart before their eyes and take them with it. The family exchanged uneasy glances with the other. It was about to split open falling apart by the crust in a matter of hours. The family exchanged nods at the definite announcement and facts as laid out by the professor except for Smith.

"Where is Doctor Smith?" Penny asked.

"Admiring his statue." Don said.

"Mad and he still has a sense of his accomplishments." Judy said with a small smile.

"How about we leave Smith behind?" Don piped up. "Among all the non-essentials that we accomplished to make?" the Robinsons raised their heads in alarm to what Don was proposing and their eyes widened. "It's better than him running out for hours on end running after something that isn't there."

"No." Was the definite answer from the Robinsons.

"That would be cruel," Judy said. "If we were to kill him then we would have to poison him."

"I have a better idea of how to take him out." Will said.

Their attention shifted toward the eleven year old. 

"What is the big idea, Will?" Penny asked.

"I need explosives and the rest is easy to roll into place." Will said.

John and Maureen nodded at once in understanding as they got a rough idea of his plan.

"Will," John said. "I need you to go and find him. Bring him to the ship right away."

Will nodded then got up from the table and went up the deck of the ship.

"John, do you think it's right that we let a child take care of Smith?" Don asked.

"Smith and Will have developed a friendship in what little mental state that he has left." John reminded. "It is not right but it is Will's choice."

"I hate this." Don said. "Putting children into this position! It's not right! I feel like we're a hospital ship."

"Any home can be that way." Maureen said, softly. "That's what homes are. Homes of hospitality, kindness, and hope."

"The Jupiter 2 was always meant to be a ship that could be a hospital ship if it were made to be that way." Judy perked up and smiled at her own comment. "That's what we do. We take care of each other."

"Right now, that's what he is." John said. "He is in the same boat as we are, same ship, same planet."

Don sighed, leaning back.

"I shoulda' thrown him out that airlock." Don said.

"Everyone, we get changed into our space suits this moment." John said. "Maureen, leave their space suits out."

Maureen nodded then the family got up and went their separate ways. Will and Smith's suits waited on the table for their return. Maureen was the first to return out of her cabin in her silver and red-orange space suit then approach the professor standing across from the residential desk with one hand on the head rest.

"John," Maureen put her hand on the professor's shoulder as he looked off toward the window of the auxiliary deck. "What is it?"

"I wish that I let Don eject him." John said as he clenched his wife's hand that rested on his shoulder and gave it a small but short lived squeeze. "I do."

There was a pause between them.

"So do I." Maureen agreed.


	3. season 2

Before the Robinsons knew it in the coming weeks, Smith was raving at the inanimate monotone machine that obeyed insisting, "You may be my legal guardian, bubble headed booby but according to AMERICAN law, THAT IS NOT THE CASE!" and Robot's helm would bob up in return, "That does not compute." as Smith would walk off from the machine and Will followed behind him.

The couple were staring at each other, bewildered.

"Guardian ship?" Don asked.

"It must be part of the invisible wall around the Jupiter 2 episode." Judy suggested

"First time that he has established some kind of continuity." Maureen noted.

"Is Doctor Smith going to be okay?" Penny looked up toward Maureen in concern.

"Never worse for wear." Maureen assured the young girl beside her. "May be some sign of hope for him."

"Mentally." Don said. "Robot and I are still filling those holes that he has dug around the ship. Why the hell does he keep making them?"

"Treasure hunting, maybe?" Judy offered.

"That would about do it." John confirmed. 

"What is next?" Don asked. "Is he going to have a episode about a member of his family being in space?"

"Don, don't push it around him." Maureen warned.

"Smith can't actually hear us in his little world." Don reminded.

"Some days, I think that might actually hear reality." John said.

"He does." Penny said. "One day, a few weeks ago, when he was supposed to make the agriculture watering pipes and you and Don were arguing about a strange crop, he made the comment that tasting it would solve everyone's problems."

"He was having the fantasy of finding rare and exotic goods that no one was quite was the real deal back then." Don rubbed his fingers as he scoured through his memories. "Which is different from treasure hunting." Don finished.

"That is actually the same episode." Judy said. "He showed me a rock and claimed it were solid gold. Still believes there is gold around here."

"Is this another gold episode?" Penny asked, incredulously. "I thought Earth was always was on his mind but it appears that being rich is." One by one members of the family smiled at the previous episodes about the man's greed. "The platinum episode told me otherwise so how can it be?. . ." Penny spoke up as she smiled rubbing the side of her cheek looking back at a grainy memory.

"That digging episode ended yesterday." Judy said. "It was fun for what it was worth." Judy slipped out a small improvised ring on to the table and the family looked on in awe.

"Where did you find that?" Don picked up the improvised ring and peered into it scanning the ring. "Did you dig with him?" 

"It kept him distracted for a few hours." Judy said.

"You mean yourself." Penny said. "You did all the digging."

"It was fun." Judy commented with a radiant grin then added. "For what it was worth, it was better than doing nothing watching the garden grow."

The family blew up into laughter.

* * *

"So, is he done pretending to be Cousin Jeremiah?" Don asked, as Smith went up the platform into the ship singing to himself cheerfully.

"It's been a full day and he hasn't mentioned him at all." Maureen said. "That episode is over."

"I find it very amusing," Don said. "Gambler? Robot pretending to be the gambling machine? Flying birds mistaken for luggage?"

"The human mind is very creative, Don, when it isn't right." Judy reminded.

"I miss Smith." Don said.

"He never left." Will said.

"No, he did leave." Don said. "Right when he lost his mind."

"He left as Daddy Zach." John spoke up from the family. "A large chunk of sanity walked out in that episode."

"It did." Will agreed.

"I wish we could make him a grave." Judy said.

"We did kind of make a grave for him when he was gone for a full week and returned with a long beard."

"I remember that!" Don said. "We had to force him down and give him a hair cut!"

"A full week of hairy and dirty Doctor Smith." Maureen reminded. "It feels so long ago that we had him among us."

"It has been a long time, Maureen." John said with a smile.

The family got up from the dinner table then Will helped his mother retrieve the silverware. Robot remained on post outside of the Jupiter 2 silently keeping him watch. The young boy looked toward the machine as he dumped what was left of his meal afar from the campsite then walked over toward the machine. He put a hand on the side of Robot's chassis.

"I wish you did become sapient." Will said. "I wish we didn't have to erase thirty days of tapes and leave you as a machine." Will withdrew his hand then gulped down a shaky voice and sighed lowering his hand down to his side. "I wish you were everything that Doctor Smith argues against."

Will turned away then returned into the Jupiter 2 brushing past his mother.

"Good night, mom."

"Good night, Will." Maureen said.

Maureen wanted to reach out and hug the boy and apologize for insisting to take him along. She wanted to apologize for everything that her decision had put him through. She wanted to apologize to the ten year old version and tell him what was ahead of him. She wanted to have told him of the future, to care for someone mentally ill, of what he would insist to do, and insist that he didn't go with them. 

"Maureen, are you okay?" John asked.

John put a hand on the side of her shoulder. 

"No." Maureen turned toward John and shook her head on the brink of tears. "I am not."

"Let's have a hug, darling." John stretched his arms out for her with a smile "Hugs always make you feel better."

John caught her in the embrace then he hugged her.

The professor planted a kiss on the top of her head as she silently cried then so did he as he closed his eyes standing at the entrance way of the Jupiter 2.

* * *

"But, dad, I think he is coming back this time!"

"That might just be part of his current episode." John told Will.

"He insists that he is seeing things!" Will argued back to his father. "What is there not to believe in? Maybe this time it will be different."

"Will, you are going to get your heart crushed." John said.

"It has been two years! Two years of Doctor Smith being a shadow of himself! And now there's hope and you don't believe that it is real."

"Will, you're a man now.'" John said. "You have to know . . . One of his episodes are going to lead him to walk away and not come back."

"I know that." Will admitted. "But, this is hope. Something tangible. There is real progress!"

"You also have to know that we have extremely little chance of ever getting back to Earth with him."

John watched the heart break fall upon the young boy's face and horror replace that a moment not too late. John could feel his own heart breaking at what he had to tell the boy. He had to hear the truth that he was in denial of. A truth that would hurt him deeply. 

"I know." Will admitted. "I know. . . But, we might come across a alien capable of projecting a Earthling environment for him and get him on the road to recovery."

John shook his head.

"Long as we are lost in space; there is no chance in hell that Doctor Smith is ever going to recover." John said. "Aliens are hardly interested in helping Earthlings."

"But, dad!" Will argued.

"If we get to Gamma, nothing will change." John reminded. "Except, he will be in a prison ship."

Will took several steps back then shook his head

"He is INSANE!" Will shouted. "No one can try a mad man! No one! Not even a court of law."

"That is the Federal Government's decision, Will." John said. "They would be very furious at him and try to extract who in what way hired him." John closed his eyes turning away from the boy pained by the thought. "I am afraid with what technology they will have on hand; I fear, I fear, that he would only be catatonic."

"What happened to your hope?" Will's voice was heartbroken on the verge of tears.

John sighed, gripping on the back rest of the chair.

"Mentally ill people don't get treated right in the prison system, Will." John said.

It was quiet between them.

"You have a uncle, Will. Who was . . ." There was a pause left by the professor. "Something similar to what Doctor Smith has been through."

"I didn't know."

"I didn't want you or your siblings to know."

"You have done a good job of hiding it." Will was hurt and bitter. "Keeping that away from me. What else have you hidden from me?" The hurt became venomous. "Do I have a unborn sibling that mom lost?" His voice had become cynical and unlike himself staring at someone that he once used to know. "Is Penny adopted?"

The professor's voice became pained and even more shattered as he looked back.

"He was on a island for a year along with a dozen so passengers." John continued on the story. "He was the pilot. He was on the road to recovery but then once they got their hands on him. . . "

"That wasn't the case anymore."

John nodded.

"Will, it's best that when we do get to Gamma, don't interfere." John warned the boy as he turned the boy. "Let his illness interfere. If enough people see him at his worst then the Federal Government will have to step back and put him into a ship that would be a prison ship in every way. That is what I mean by a prison ship."

Will relaxed with the clarification from his father.

"It will be a guardian ship." Was the final comment.

Will ran off up the decks of the Jupiter 2 and John sighed lowering his head. John moved toward the residential deck of the ship then slipped open the door. Smith was resting on his bed with his hands resting in his lap fast asleep. He looked so peaceful compared to his frantic, terrified, and childish demeanor that he held every day.

Later that day, Smith would announce his passage for Earth while dressed in a costume, and announced how he came to it. The Robinsons were not happy about the episode but they played along with it acting as if the tale was real. That night, Will watched his friend walk off into the night all alone heading for certain death. Hours later that the Robinsons went seeking for Will and Smith in the cave system then return with them.

But Will looked at his father differently, a sting from their earlier conversation. As if the boy wasn't persuaded by the episode and believed in the man returning. John shook his head as Will was tucked into bed by Maureen then the professor too went to bed. Robot was quiet as he was every night. And John wanted to scream, to lash out, to demand why it hadn't gone with Will and shake it until it had fallen into pieces. But, it was pointless. Robot was only a machine and his duty was to the family not to one person.

John wanted to scream until his soul was gone and all the heartbreak was away with it.

John settled with writing down the events of that day in his replacement journal.


	4. Season 3; space primevals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended this to be a short chapter but I ended up almost rewriting a entire goddamn episode. Lots of canon dialogue and fanon dialogue. I don't know if I pulled this off well regarding Smith and his mental state of mind.

It was a collective early morning for the family after a major eruption had came to on the planet they were on for the time being. Smith was eating a hamburger and french fries during the mission. It was a key part of his three year old shadow of a man persona not just his figure had gained weight that Will noticed as did most of the family.

Once, Smith used to not eat at night after dinner. Once, Smith didn't raid the garden for a few 'night snacks' and retreat to bed. Once, Smith was a person who wasn't controlled by a desire to eat constantly and more than made up for the weight gain by running all the time from imaginary threats.

John relayed the key information that weighed upon the family. The family were silent even after the major was the one who volunteered. Not even Smith had a quip to say. It was as if he heard what the professor had to say and his mind didn't have anything childish to twist. One by one, as Don's anger radiated from him, the family went up the ship and Will put the required gear outside with Smith and Robot by his side.

"This will be a first that Don has gone on a solo mission without anyone." Will said.

"Hmmm." Smith hummed. "He should find it a very successful mission."

"This does not compute." Robot said.

"Sometimes, missions like these require more than two people, Robot." Will explained as Root's helm bobbed down. "It just doesn't feel right that one person is doing it."

"Hph, this major will no come out of it in one piece." Smith said, definitively.

"One person being the get away driver and the other person being the careful layer of plans." Will said. "It's got a lot of possibility."

"Major West is a very intelligent young man." Robot said. "He can get himself out of a pickle should he be in one and generally aware of where to park a Chariot."

"That he does." Will agreed.

"This is a mission that requires one person alone." Smith said. "Hardly a two person mission."

"Why, Doctor Smith, you never know that four hands are better than one." Will noted.

Smith looked upon the young boy with a grimace.

"Four hands are worse than having eight, William." Smith replied.

"Just how worse is four hands worse than having eight?" Will asked, puzzled.

"The sleeves, the sleeves, the sleeves." Smith replied. "I wouldn't wish it upon anyone else." Smith fell upon a trance like state staring on. "Those who ignore a sleet of snow risk their very lives of the wrath of the great Protinus."

"Great Protinus?" Will said as the man's head slouched and he started to tip forward. "Doctor Smith!"

Will caught the man by the arm and so did Robot. They guided him over to into the Chariot and seated him down.

"Doctor Smith is not well." The machine bobbed his helm up.

"He is always not well, Robot." Will said.

"This time his nonsense is concerning." Robot said.

"He is just having a good moment. . ." Will said. "Not a bad episode."

"There is a volcano actively erupting several miles from the Jupiter 2, this will bring up a nasty episode according to my processors analysis of previous episodes and natural disasters." Robot stated factly, but methodically. He became silent as Will looked on toward the older man set across from him. "He may wander off."

Will turned toward Robot.

"There's a literal volcano erupting and the ground is trembling." Will pointed toward the distant cloud hanging over the volcano. "That would get through mental illness."

"Affirmative." Robot said. "He would not be able to deny movement such as this."

"Robot, how long was Doctor Smith pacing around last night?" Will asked.

"Four point three hours." Robot replied.

"Not five hours like last time?" Will lifted a brow.

"No." Robot said.

"At least he got one more hour of sleep." Will said then closed the door to the Chariot. "Robot, make sure that Doctor Smith is safe before Don leaves."

"Affirmative." Robot replied

Will returned into the Jupiter 2 passing by the major.

* * *

The women went up the deck of the ship leaving Don and John to the same room. John pressed a button then the door closed to the Jupiter 2 of the residential deck then turned in the direction of the major who's arms were folded. The major was radiating with steam at the situation that he was in. The one that he had been forced to have a part in with one unfair aspect to it.

"What's on your mind?" John asked.

"John, someone has to take Smith to a cave and close him off after capping this volcano." Don said. "He can't live this way forever. It's cruel. It's inhumane doing that to him!"

The major paced back and forth with his hands briefly thrown into the air with each statement being made and shook his hands.

"Even just being kind to him as a decent human being---on Earth, if this were happening, he would have a chance of recovery!" was the major's comment being finished.

"Don," John started. "Everyone has a chance."

"I don't care how wrong that is!" Don said. "It's better than leaving him to be that way!"

"That is Will's job." John said.

Don lifted a brow up in surprise.

"And he hasn't had enough of it?" Don asked.

John shook his head.

"It does make a world of a difference playing pretend and laugh about."

"John, aren't you worried about his future once we reach civilization?" Don asked.

"I am." John admitted. "But, it won't happen. Not in this lifetime."

"Alright." Don said. "I am going on the neutralization of the volcano."

"Would you like me to go with you?" John asked.

Don shook his hand with a smile.

"I can do this alone." Don nodded. "I just need a little time without Smith. I appreciate your offer."

Don turned away then went down the stairs to the ship going past Will and went into the waiting chariot. He turned on the Chariot then proceeded to roll on ahead. The Chariot rolled away from the Jupiter 2 under the cloak of dark as dark ashes cloaked the sky in a strange mushroom cloud formation covering a several mile radius. With time to himself, Don was ready to fight against a volcano and crush some rocks. Don looked on toward the area ahead of him with trees drooped over along the valley's passageway.

* * *

"Robot, where is Doctor Smith?" Will asked.

It was abrupt, as the family stood on the conn, waiting for the reply from the major regarding how close that he were to the volcano and what he could be facing. It was a truly dark time in a bright ship and clothing that were technicolor instead of dark clothing that matched the mood, the uncertainty, and the fear from deck to deck. It was then that John noticed that Smith was absent as did the rest of the family.

"He is safe." Robot said.

"Robot, where is Smith?" John asked.

"He is in the Chariot." Robot replied. "My earlier statement stands true. It is the most safest place to be should the lava flow take over the Jupiter 2."

"He has a point." Judy said.

"Not really," Maureen said. "Doctor Smith and Don all alone, together, stranded on a planet?"

"Don would kill him with mercy." John said.

"What he has always wanted." Penny said.

"Would he even know that he is being targeted?" Judy asked, concerned.

"With a laser pistol to the back, Doctor Smith would, Judy." Will said. "He can feel and correspond touch to certain things so he is not that deep into the thick woods."

Maureen looked on toward the opening of the ship in concern.

"I hope we get to all leave this planet." Maureen said.

"So do we." the family chimed at once.

The thought was comforting.

* * *

The major looked back at the events that brought him into the Chariot alone on a dangerous mission. The major nearly screamed once he saw a familiar face in the chair beside him during the long journey once the Chariot was so far away that the Jupiter 2 couldn't be spotted as a distant specter. Don's brows furrowed together as he looked over in the direction of the man seated alongside him who had been making little to no sound to his surprise. If he had, then Don hadn't been paying attention.

"Smith, why are you in here!"

It came more as a angry shout instead of a calm question.

"The professor insisted I help in keeping this dinky thing up here." Smith replied then pointed toward the device kept secured on the line decorating the middle of the Chariot. "This is a very delicate and powerful device for a hyper atomic central coil."

"That's a bag full of powerful explosives that we picked up on Valis Three, Smith." Don reminded

Smith lowered his hands from the line but briefly as the Chariot rolled on then grasped at it keeping it still.

"The volunteering to my doom by a machine that goes off once it is 115 ambient degrees!" Don looked toward the older man as it became quickly apparent that he were having a bad episode because of the natural disaster. "It could be get hotter because of a cosmic storm's strike and we're dead! Deaaad! DEAAAD!"

Don stared at the man, incredulously, even more irritated.

"I wish you would get it through your thick head that you are holding a space grenade core." Don wished, aloud.

Don noted of that fact as he regained control over the anger. The man was mad and he could throw it into the Chariot, killing them for no reason at all, if he raised his voice even further. Last time he did that; Smith had one of his worst episodes to date in the transportation vehicle. He hated for another Chariot episode where Smith insisted there were aliens and kicked Don in the face with his boot much to Judy's horror.

"Like I don't care about my one way ticket off this horrible planet." Smith snarled. "I care very much."

"Having your hands on it is dangerous enough." Don said.

"And you think this is easy!" Smith exclaimed.

"I do not think holding something dangerous is _easy_ , Smith." Don seethed back at the doctor.

It was a useless feat. Smith was hearing him saying something else. The doctor wasn't really hearing the major.

"You went over a road bumps a few moments ago and it nearly hit the ceiling if it weren't for me being in attendance!" Smith yelped throwing himself aside as he visibly trembled. "The lightning is very frightening!" then Smith droned on leaning his head back with the back of his hand pressed against his forehead for emphasis. "A horrifying demise that is beneath Doctor Zachary Smith!"

Don looked on toward the lightning ahead of him as he plotted what to do about him.

"Fine then." Don settled with a sigh. "I'll make use of you in this volcano mission."

Don picked up the radio receiver.

"Jupiter, Jupiter 2, over." Don called. "Come in, Jupiter 2."

"The Jupiter 2 here." John said. "Is Smith with you? Over."

"Affirmative." Don said. "Can't turn away now. Over."

"Understood." John said. "Don. . . Be careful with him at the base of the volcano. Over."

Don looked toward the older man.

"Oh, I will try." Don said. "I'll try. Over."

"And make sure Doctor Smith stays inside of the Chariot." John said. "Over."

"I don't know how possible that is with his mental health being over the roof. Thinks it is storming!" 

The older man yelped with a startle at the shadows they were passing by. And the major's stomach felt heavy with dread and sorrow. Everything should be different, he should be sane. _He was a colonel for God's sake!_ He should be stable, sane, and being a pain in the rear. It made Don wonder how the man climbed the ranks so slowly like a regular officer when numerous encounters with aliens and being far from home scared the sanity out of him.

"He is having a cosmic storm episode?" John asked, his voice carrying the concern quite calmly. "Over."

"Affirmative." Don replied. "Over."

"Don, come out in one piece if you can't with Smith." John said. "Over."

"I can't promise anything depending or not with Smith holding the explosives." Don said. "I will call you when we get closer to the base of the volcano." He looked toward the older man, wondering himself; _is Smith going to survive this episode?_ then shifted his attention off the older man back on to the road ahead. "Chariot out."

Don hooked the receiver in then resumed on under the dark.

"Can't promise my continued existence my foot!" Smith exclaimed. "I am far resilient than anyone thinks I am!"

Some days, Don thought Smith heard him -- too -- as he looked toward the terribly frightened doctor and thought, for a fleeting moment, a sane man was seated along side him.

"If you are a resilient man then I am a helicopter pilot." Don turned his attention on the path ahead of him. "A man can dream. . . A man can dream."

* * *

The ash forced the Chariot to come to a pause. Smith was screaming insisting there were natives all around them. Don slipped out the oxygen mask, the anti-volcanic utility suit, then forced the older man to do the same, with arguments and fear in his eyes. Manipulating the man's body to do as he pleased proved to be easier than what Don had assumed it to be. Don put on the parajet around his shoulders then opened the door to the outside as Smith held the delicate hyperatronic explosive.

"Hold on to me, Smith!"

"Maaajor! THE NATIVES! Spare me! Spare me!"

"Keep yourself together and don't look down."

"At what? At our distant, bleak, vine covered vehicle?"

"Just keep holding on. We'll get out of this!"

Don leaped into the air then flew on as Smith screamed. The doctor fell to the man's leg and kept his grip on the hyperatronic explosive as Don flew on searching for the appropriate place to perform the drop. Don lowered himself down then pricked off explosive after explosive and tossed them into the pattern that they had decided only hours ago. The side of the volcanic mound fell down with each blow. He yanked the complete machine out of the man's hands then chucked it below as Smith were speaking to thin air with a delightful and elegant worded monologue.

Smith shrieked as the sonic boom sent them flying off. Don crashed to the ground and Smith landed on the rims. Smith leaped to his feet then fled into the nearest tunnel. Don looked over spotting the lava was heading their way then looked on toward the tunnel as he held a single barb of explosive in one hand. Don made a run for it into the tunnel then turned around and tossed into the ceiling. He ran on ahead of the doctor and crouched as Smith crashed with a yelp.

The explosive knocked them down to the ground. The dust settled then the men leaned up. Don rubbed the back of his head then spotted the older man, quiet, on the floor. Don walked over toward the older man then knelt down to his level and flipped him over. Don watched as the man's chest rose up and down. Alive but quite insane. Don put his back against the wall then slid down and looked toward the older who by the outside looked fine but by the inside wasn't right in the head. Don slid the parajet off setting it off to the side.

Don explored the cave with his arms out seeking for a passageway. His hands met a hard wall as he explored around the terrain and discovered that he were inside of a small cavern that easily could have doubled as a prison shell. He turned toward the direction of where he had entered. The cave was closed off and there was no way out of the berth of lava.

It was bleak and dark all at once in unison that was the perfect image of how dark his existence was and it was going to end not because of Smith, but because of himself. The irony; badly, how he wanted the man's miserable current existence to end but with his desire to live, he didn't want that now. Don wanted to live.

* * *

"Robot, what does the long range sensors indicate?"

"Much of the lava has been diverted into a large scale pool in the base of the volcano." Robot announced.

The family cheered, loudly, with hugs and laughter.

"Jupiter 2 to Chariot, Jupiter 2 to Chariot," Judy called into the receiver as her family celebrated behind her. "do you read me?"

There was only static over the connection.

"Jupiter 2 to Chariot, Jupiter 2 to Chariot." Judy called over the line. "Jupiter 2 to Chariot!"

Slowly, the laughter faded.

"Judy, they may be held up right now." Maureen said. "And Doctor Smith may be freaking out."

"Doctor Smith isn't easy to calm with Don around." John said. "I will check upon Don and Smith if they are not here in thirty minutes."

"Can I go with?" Will asked

"Long as you are suited up for the trip, I can agree to that trip." Maureen said.

"I will be!" Will insisted.

"Well, what do you have to say about that, Doctor Robinson?" John asked.

"He may go." Maureen said. "Make sure to avoid any plumes that may still be lingering."

"I will." John said.

Will looked on.

"Doctor Smith will be okay with Don by his side." Will said.

"Why do you have so much faith that Smith will be fine?" Penny asked.

"Because he always is." Will said. "He always comes back to us. Always."

"The only thing that will only happen is not being right in the head when he comes home." Judy agreed.

The family looked out toward the distant volcano ahead of them and Maureen clenched onto John's shoulder, worried and John took her hand giving it a squeeze. They were both worried about the men. And John was fearful that a nightmare that he had been dreaming of for the last few years was bound to become reality on his watch.

* * *

Don paced back and forth in front of the cave entrance with his arms folded then paused noticing what his pacing was making. Don knelt down for a moment then felt around the feeling and gently knocked on to it but his fist fell through the sand. Don's brows rose in surprise then he got up to his feet and proceeded to kick back layers of sand.

Smith came to then got up to his feet as the major went toward the back of the cavern. Smith got up to his feet then went over toward the entrance of the tunnel taking out a long rope from his pocket. There was a narrow crack in the wall of rock that revealed the dark exterior lurking behind it.

"Pppst. Come." Smith swung the cord from side to side. "Something lovely. Like to have it? Takes it, you do. Let me out. And it's yours."

Smith stared at the opening as Don turned away from the dead end of the cavern.

"That creature!" Smith pointed back at the entrance as he walked away and tremors caused small rocks to be dislodged above them. "He made away with my grandfather's genuine old watch."

Don walked over toward Smith.

"As I said before; loyalty," he put a hand on the man's shoulder. "my name is Smith."

Don walked away. 

"I did it for the both of us, Major." Smith replied as Don spotted the rope was dangling partially out of the entrance.

Don turned around on the heel of his boots. _He heard me._

"I'll bet."

Don slipped the rope out of the tunnel then returned to the man, stomped on it repeatedly, until the fire that was erupting from it was gone as was the hints of lava. Don hissed, holding his boot up, as he held his foot up with a snarl. Smith only watched with his hands clasped in his lap quite passively. Then Don brought him over to the inside of the cavern.

"It is hollow under here." Don noted then gestured toward the sand that had a small mound already made from his feet digging. "Maybe we can tunnel our way out."

"With feet, though?" Smith asked, baffled.

Don smiled back at the older man for a solid moment.

"By our bare hands." Don wanted to scream, to shout, to shake him repeatedly by the shoulders as he shook his hands instead to note of the occasion. "Now start taking the ground. It's hard." Then, Don slipped out the radio from the side pocket and handed it to the doctor. "Well, take care of this."

Don proceeded to dig and dig and dig and dig until he breached the surface below. Don slipped down then held a hand out.

"Take it, take it!"

"I got it." Don looked up. "Now, get down here!" Don proceeded to climb down the rock then noticed that Smith's presence was lacking. "Smith, where are you?"

"Up here, major."

"You are of no use up there. Get down here."

"Are you sure there is enough room for me and the explosive?"

"Quit stalling Smith and get down here."

Don searched the terrain as he heard Smith's voice from above that was tiny and small compared to his notable loud and emphasized tones.

"I am not suited to be a burrowing creature."

"Well, here's your first look at how the burrowing half lives. Start burrowing."

"I am frightened."

"Go on."

They walked down the staircase made of rock to the lower chamber of the cavern as the tremors continued to echo through the cavern. They traveled into the next chamber looking around into the tunnel as Smith held his trembling hands in his lap.

"This cannot lead anywhere but to the bowel. Oh dear, I can feel the temperature rising. You may detonate the explosive."

"Tell me something, Smith. Haven't you heard of the word 'survival'?"

"I am quite familiar to the word, Major. I do not require any literary assistance from you!"

"Well, as much as I hate to admit, Smith . . . I require assistance from _you_. Come on." They traveled further in the cavern. Don came to a pause, "Sssh," he stopped him with one hand. "Listen." Don looked up toward the surface. "Up there."

Don looked up toward the ceiling as did Smith then the major carefully considered what was to be said. Play along with Smith's delusion or not. The man had made the distinctive comments regarding a cracking plant or what not. Don made his decision, if Robot's external sensors were working as optimal as they were supposed to then they would detect their presence.

Smith had once been capable of manipulating the technology. Once. A long time ago. Don manipulated the machine to make the noise that had to be loud enough to be caught by space pod audio frequencies from above if the lava hadn't hardened enough yet. So Don performed the necessary manipulation and slipped into the crack with a few words toward the frightened older man as the ground trembled around them. Don and Smith ran on ahead of the sight.

A rock exploded beneath the major's footsteps and he screamed as did the older man. They were separated. Don caught on to a rock then struggled to climb up the edge of the cliff side. He fell down feeling sore in his feet. Don looked over spotting that his uniform were quite intact. Don struggled but slipped further down the cliff edge. Don's fingers grasped along the edge of the natural made pocket in the wall as he slipped up the wall of rock.

"Major? Where are you!"

This was a heavy stress inducing situation, the same one in which Smith had a nervous breakdown trying to survive in a harsh environment. And Smith wouldn't hear him as he heard the older man whimper. And he wouldn't help him because he was seeing something else. So, he didn't say a word and struggled to find another way. Don focused on his surroundings then spotted a ledge that he could grasp on to.

Instead, a hand slid down to the man's surprise so Don took it.

"NO! You're pulling me into the hole with you!"

Don was caught off guard in surprise as he looked up.

"Smith! How did to you find me!"

"My arm is being wrenched out of its socket!"

"What a surprise!"

"I can't hold on much longer!"

"Try, Smith! TRY! TRY!"

"What! Let go?"

"No, don't let go!"

"No, I can't let go! I am afraid!"

"SO AM I!"

"One, two, three, HEAAAVE, MAJOR! HEAAAVE! OH, my delicate back won't survive this! We're coorraborating! Heaave!"

Don was yanked up to his feet by the doctor back on the upper surface. Don dusted himself off as Smith looked on into the lower cavern entrance with a scan. Don proceeded to walk on then Smith got up to his feet and followed after the major. The men climbed up the stair case leading back into the upper level of the cavern. Don attempted to get up the hole but then lowered quite abruptly, grimly.

"Looks like we're sealed in."

"We're doomed."

Smith collapsed to the floor with his back to the wall. Don checked the oxygen gauge on his wrist. 

"Draft. Must be a opening somewhere."

"We're running short of oxygen from that big lift, Smith."

"Those who prosperous in the peril of the great Protinus await for survival or your end is near."

Don looked at the man, puzzled, as the man's head fell aside.

"What did you say?"

Smith looked toward the younger man lifting his head up.

"Say? Say what?"

Don shook his head with a small smile.

"Nothing, Smith." Don replied. "Nothing."

It was going to be a long wait for help to arrive. Don closed his eyes then sighed and laid in wait for John to come for them. He had faith in the professor. He always came at the right moment. He always came when Don needed him -- when Smith was having a bad or good episode while Don was in trouble -- along with some help. They had enough oxygen to last them for a few hours as they sat there.

Don sighed, closing his eyes if only briefly, then lowered his head down. _I am not sure if this Volcano has stopped erupting._ He listened for the sound of tremors but found that there were none. It was quiet not even a rock was being dislodged. _Clearly, the Volcano has stopped erupting._ He looked toward the resting older man then toward what was to become their final tomb if they weren't found soon enough. They were going to be found, one way or another, soon enough. 

* * *

"Where could they be?"

John was quite unhappy as he trudged through the dark terrain that coated the landscape of the ancient planet they called home. Ruins indicated that it was quite ancient as did the geographic data regarding the soil, the rocks, and the lumber that they had found. Will was calling for the men along the landscape set alongside the half-buried Chariot. John scanned one last time then returned into the space pod and hailed the Jupiter 2.

"Space pod to Jupiter 2," John called. "Space pod to Jupiter 2."

"Jupiter 2 here." Maureen's voice came over. "Have you found them? Over.""

"Negative." John said. "Still searching. Over."

"We will find them." Penny said from over the line. "Over."

"We will." Will nodded, certain.

"Space pod detects a repeated noise signature belonging to a radio three kilometers from here." Robot announced. "It is coming from below."

"Did you hear that, Maureen?" John asked. "Over."

"Affirmative." Maureen said, "Looks like a trip is in order for the space equipment that digs through hardened lava. Over."

The girls cheered as John turned toward Will and nodded.

* * *

"Oxygen is just about wasted, Smith."

"I have been aware of that for some time."

Don looked over, bitterly smiling, at what it took to be heard.

"Doctor Smith," Don coughed.

"Yes." Smith stared on for a moment then his attention shifted toward the major. "Did you call me. . . _Doctor_ Smith?"

And for the first time in what felt to be forever, Don was certain that he were talking to the very sane version of the older man. Before being stranded on a planet and meeting creatures that he weren't prepared to socialize with broke him into two.

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"No problem. You saved my life." Don said. "I have been doing some thinking."

"I have been thinking myself, Major . . . Don."

"I don't know how much longer we can last down here."

"Please, call me Zachary."

"I haven't been exactly friend to you in the past." Don closed his eyes, wincing, in regret. "Sure, lazy, incompetent, hell selfish."

"Go no further, major." Smith's eyes flashed open.

"No, no, no. Now don't get me wrong. No, that's all changed now." Don sighed. "The only thing that matters. When we get out of this alive or not, we'll always be friends."

"Thank you, Don." Smith said. "I must confess my opinion of you in the past was. . . hardly flattering."

"Hardly. . ." Don looked toward the older man with a glare. "Your opinion hasn't changed. You don't even see what is really going around you."

"Now," Smith sighed. "Despite your bullying, ill temper, your childish temper, snide comments about my character. Now, I can only think of you as great, great, great affection." Smith reached his hands out. "Could we. . could we. . . could we shake hands?"

Don took Smith's hand then Smith shook it.

"Thank you. . . thank you. ." Smith said with a small aged smile and the weight gain was painfully noticeable. "Knife please."

"Sure, Zach."

"Now please, Zachary not Zach."

"Okay, Zach."

The tone of irritation was a welcome change from the childish demeanor that the old man welded and the insanity that he was bound in. It was a welcome change as it felt incredible sincere and sane from him. As if the cavern itself was a piece that grounded the older man down to the ground and comforted him. A lone cave comforting him, with little chances of escape, the one place that could kill him was helping him.

Don was struggling not to chuckle as he fell weaker by the passing minute over the colonel's rehearsal of what to jot down. The small pit of hope, of escape, was shrinking by the passing moment as time went past them.

* * *

Suddenly, they heard voices. Don lifted his head up as Smith was slouched against the wall then looked on spotting rays of light in the adjoining chamber from across.

"Don! Smith!" A voice called distantly.

"Zach, do you hear that?" Don asked.

"Hallucination, my dear Don." Smith dismissed.

Don looked down toward the wrist gauge then leaped to his feet as a lone figure came down calling out. He took off the helmet then breathed in air. He slipped off Smith's helmet then turned and proceeded to flee in the direction of voices calling for him and Smith quite distantly. Don sported a grin of his own running after the sound of the Robinsons.

"Don!"

"John!"

Don ran on ahead of the doctor and Smith got up to his feet and followed on to the major. They arrived to the improvised ladder that was set up leading down. John was on the platform with a hand outstretched. Judy and Maureen were there in space suits as well concealing large blankets waiting for them. Don took John's hand then was helped up the slope into the hardened magma slope where Judy was standing. Judy caught Don in a embrace. 

"Are you okay?" Judy asked as she stepped back.

"No worse for wear." Don said. "Two minutes ago, I would have given a nickle that I was going to die there with a insane man who stopped me from falling."

"Doctor Smith did that?" Judy asked.

"Uh huh." Don nodded. "He heard me."

"Smith?" John called into the cavern that was beneath him. "Smith!"

"No need to fear, Smith is here." Smith arrived from out of the dark, weakly, but quickly with bravado. "Anything my dear friend Don can do, I can do, too."

The children sported smiles of their own.

"Doctor Smith!" The children cried at Smith's figure.

The children unexpectedly bolted down the contraption to the older man's side.

"You're okay!" Will cheered.

"That terrible machine may seize us again!"

"Don't see any cuts on him." Penny noted.

"What happened to your helmets?" Maureen asked.

"We didn't have any oxygen left." Don replied.

"Let's get home." John said.

"Did you get the Chariot out?" Don asked.

"Robot and I got it back to the ship with surprisingly little difficulty with the advanced tech that we found on the last planet." John said.

"Turns out using ancient relics does have its perks after all." Don said.

"All's well ends well." Maureen said.

John smiled then looked down toward Maureen.

"We were extremely lucky today." John said as they went in, squeezing Maureen's hand briefly, then let go and Maureen closed the door behind them. "So, Don, how much suffering did you have down there with our endearingly mad doctor?"

Don looked toward the man who was slouched against the wall, snoring away.

"Suffering? Suffering can't account for how on the seesaw of sanity that he is on." Don said. "He was there, John." he gestured toward the older man where the older man should be. "He was really there with me."

"Speaking of who---" Judy said. "He wondered off again!"

"Thank God the ash cloud is gone!" John said. "We'll find him from above and bring him back to the ship."

Judy patted on Don's shoulder with a small smile of her own as the members of the family looked upon the older man quite fondly but bitterly. It took a nervous breakdown to make him a better person and it took away someone that they never fully got to know. And that is what hurt the most for the family. John looked toward the major as did Will with grins of their own as the space pod lifted into the chair and proceeded to search for Smith.

"Father?" Judy asked. "Will this impact our launch window?"

"It would if we don't find Smith in the next fifteen minutes, darling." John replied. "Robot, Robinsons, keep your eyes out for him."

The Robinsons had their eyes trained out for the older man seeking through the dark terrain.

"Over there!" Penny pointed on.

"Don, do you have enough fuel in the parajet?" John asked.

"Double it before we had to leave." Don said. "Anticipated this of happening."

"Get him!" John ordered.

Judy opened the door then Don flew after the older man with his hands on the consoles to the parajet.

"Smith!" Don called. "Smith! Don't make me fly over you!"

Smith shrieked.

"SPACE PTERODACTYL!" Smith screeched. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!"

Don's feet crashed upon the older man who shrieked as he landed down to his feet.

"That was fun for what it was worth," Don chuckled.

Don slid the man up to his feet then held him against his side and returned back toward the space pod. Smith collapsed to the ground with a fall then a grunt. The girls and Will came first crashing Smith to his feet in the hug.

"Are you okay, Doctor Smith?" Penny asked.

"I nearly was caught by a space pterodactyl! Course, I am not alright." Smith shuddered. "Ancient planet! This is a very young planet."

"Don?" Judy asked looking toward the major. "Did you screech at him?"

"No." Don shook his head as he went up front to the space pod. "Wish I _had_ the fortitude of screeching at a mentally ill man."

Don piloted the space pod back to the ship as John stood alongside Maureen with his arm wrapped around her waist. Everything was right for the moment as the space pod made a controlled flight back to the Jupiter 2 carrying precious cargo.


	5. season 3 continued

Will's particle experiment went without a hitch. Except, Doctor Smith was reliving the first year much to the horror of the Robinsons. Maureen's head fell into her hands and heaved a sigh as John put a hand on her shoulder then gave it a squeeze. What little hope of bringing him back from what he had fallen into fell with a final heap into a pit that hardly ended.

It was heartbreaking in every way to the family as he relived the initial few months. Judy and Don went somewhere private with John's orders after their marriage ceremony. Away from Smith and the family as they spent their honeymoon together with peace and quiet. Away from the bleakness and depressing reminder that they were heavily lost with a stowaway who had lost their mind.

Maureen and John performed medical research on how to properly treat a delivery and what the necessary gear were after Judy announced that she were pregnant. Smith was indifferent to the announcement as he was currently living through the glitter episode and spending time away from the Jupiter 2 when the announcement was made.

* * *

Ten years later, the reruns ended and the Robinsons were still trucking along searching for Alpha Centauri with their ten year old grandson. Their grandson made them have more hope that they would had without him and was a welcome change of fresh air to the family. The family was quiet except for one lone announcement once Smith came from one of his lone cave exploits. 

"I have returned from the lab of time! You wouldn't believe the merchant that I had to deal with!"

"Welcome back, Doctor Smith." Judy greeted.

"Excuse me, mom, I have to go to the bathroom." Will dropped his napkin to the side.

"You're excused." Maureen said.

Will got up from the chair at dinner then went into the bathroom as Smith made his way to his cabin.

"I will have a nice long nap." Smith rubbed his back. "Oh, the pain. The pain. It was a horrible experience in there! A insult!"

Smith walked over toward his cabin then slid the door close.

* * *

"Dad, I am ready."

The announcement was abrupt and sudden as Will approached John, Maureen, and Don all standing in the center of the bridge of the upper decks. It had been a clear hour since the young boy had gone in. He wasn't a boy anymore but a short young man dressed in adult grade uniform that had a color pattern more similar to the men then it had been before. John looked toward Will quite concerned.

"Are you sure about this?" John asked. "You're still twenty-three."

"You're too young to take a life." Don noted.

"I am sure." Will had a short lived nod.

"If he is sure then we can let him." Maureen said.

"It is humiliating to let him live that way." Will folded his arms then shook his lowered with it lowered it. "Doctor Smith wouldn't be happy about it."

"Alright then." John said. "You choose the planet."

"This is space pod contacting Jupiter 2, this is space pod contacting Jupiter 2."

The men and women were silent as they gaped in shock spotting the space pod drifting away.

"Not again." Don groaned.

"How did he do that?" Maureen asked. "He was in charge of Joshua."

"When I left him, he was making his diary." Will said.

"Another journal of his fantasys." Don said.

"Do you read me, over? Do you read me, over?" Smith's voice came over. 

"What kind of episode is he having? Aliens infesting the ship, another entity taking us one by one, another forced crash landing, engine problems?"

John threw out as many ideas over the subject as the family exchanged glances with the other as Smith repeated himself. Will and Don were wondering the same matter but a feeling of dread was filling the air. The worst case scenario had a huge possibility of happening and they were going to lose him months after he had returned from his time loop hallucination into the present. The worst part; nobody knew what kind of episode that he were having.

Maureen went down to the lower decks then returned with a look of dread.

"Joshua is missing!" Maureen said.

"Joshua is missing?" John repeated.

"The girls can't find him at all." Maureen confirmed.

"Jupiter 2, this is Robot calling." Smith's voice was calm and monotone similar to the tone of a machine as he emulated him. "Do you read me, over."

"Robot, return back to the Jupiter 2." John took the receiver and spoke into it.

"Negative, I am better equipped and braver." Smith replied.

"Robot, the mission has been scrubbed, return, right now!" John requested.

"I shall exert every precaution." Will stepped back with a shake of his head. "And now, farewell, I am preparing to dive through the cosmic cloud."

"Cosmic cloud?" Don said.

"That is a new one." Maureen said.

"Space pod to Jupiter 2, I have passed through the cosmic cloud." Smith replied.

"Joshua, are you okay? Joshua! Joshua! Joshua!" John cried. "Joshua! Can you hear me?"

The ship broke through the atmosphere of the nearest planet.

"There is no danger. I am now landing to the planet." There was not a sign of outside voices speaking over the comn as Penny watched the space pod vanish below the blue layer of the atmosphere. Penny took Judy's hand then gave it a reassuring squeeze and Judy looked toward the younger woman. "I will send back a report immediately. Over and out."

Click. The group were silent as they waited for a reply. Tension was in the air as they waited to find out about their grandson waiting for a reply. Maureen took his hand then they exchanged a glance. Don came down the deck to the residential deck upon his very worried wife. It was quite still before the Robinsons as John went through the worst case scenario from the lack of words by his grandson. Everyone held their breath waiting for the report by the mad man.

"Jupiter 2, this is Robot reporting. All conditions appear to be---What is it?" Smith began to fall apart over the line as they listened to his cries. "They have me! They haaave meee!"

And the line went dead.

"I'll plot the course for the planet." Don's voice came from behind them.

"Robot and I will start the first search party." Will said.

John turned toward Will.

"Will, he couldn't have heard us." John said.

Will paused in his tracks, lowering his head, then sighed.

"I should have decided this earlier." Was all Will said.

Will went on ahead of them.

"He will be fine." Maureen assured John.

"Darling, get the girls ready for landing." John said.

Maureen nodded then left John be and the Professor shifted toward the window of the Jupiter 2.

* * *

They find Smith wandering around tall silver boulders and ruins of ancient civilization hours later and the space pod intact but laid on its side and Joshua, the boy who believed -- when Will no longer did -- that the older man still had some tinge of hope that he could walk back down the route of sanity was the boy who was resting. Will plotted and set up the demise of the older man as the episode that the older man was having became apparent as the hours ticked by.

The Jupiter 2 rose again for _somewhere_ being piloted by Smith in the middle of the night.

The sound of the rocket launcher being activated was the general sound of alarm that brought Robot out of his slumber.

Smith was knocked out by Robot's electrical charge then Robot returned to the planet.

No one was aware except for Robot of the hour long impromptu trip into space that night.

Robot let Smith in the space pod bay then slipped away leaving him all alone.

If Robot were programmed to love, to be human, to have developed sub protocols, he could have congratulated himself in terrifying the elder man and saving the Robinsons from a unexpected demise. Instead, he waited in the cabin left out for him. The Robinsons found out in the morning. Instead of being angry at him, they were thankful for his intervention.

* * *

"Remember when I was hopeful in Doctor Smith, dad?"

John nodded.

"I do." John said. "Will . . . Do you mean in having freedom?"

"No." Will shook his head. "I mean in getting us all killed by his episodes."

John looked toward his son away from the older man who was outside feasting on his boot.

"He is having a famine episode." John said. "That is relatively harmless compared to most of his episodes."

"He thinks we are on a planet full of junk, dad." Will said. "And that we are not alone." John's facial features fell at the fact that was dropped upon him. "I caught him talking to thin air at a cavern."

John paused for a moment then thought it over.

"Which makes sense why he tried to leave last night." John said. "Pretending to be the stranger who wanted the Jupiter 2 to leave the planet." He eyed at his son, cautiously. "So you still want to do it?"

Will nodded.

"It's for him." Will said. 

"It's for everyone, Will." John said.

"Dad. . ." Will looked back toward the older man then back to John. "Is this better than being in a guardian ship?"

"It is." John said.

Will turned toward the man who was eating his well cooked boot with a fork and a knife as the Robinsons ate their dinner inside of the ship then he came down the deck, down the stairs, and arrived to the old man. The boot was already half eaten as Will walked past. Smith got up to his feet then followed the younger man and John watched on as his heart was crushed.

* * *

Smith and Will went to the cavern system the following morning. Will walked away as Smith held a violin in his hands bickering with transparent in thin air. Will tuned out the older man then came to the mouth of the cavern. He looked back inside to the shadow of the man that he had once known and had faith in. He flipped open the switches then walked on. He turned around to face the specter of what had once been a person.

"I hope this makes you happy, Doctor Smith, having your dignity back."

Will did the necessary pressing then watched as a loud explosion came from inside and sand was blown out.

"Uncle!" Joshua cried distantly as he ran after him. "Uncle! Uncle!"

Will turned in the direction of the ten year old.

"Joshua!" Will greeted the boy with a smile. "How are you?"

"I am fine!" Joshua said. "Shoulder is still sore."

"Just a shoulder is all that got bruised?" Will lifted a brow.

"Yeah." Joshua said. "Lucky me."

"Lucky." Will agreed with a nod.

"Where is Doctor Smith?" Joshua asked.

"Somewhere better than a place like this." Will said.

"You didn't! You didn't!" Will said. "You didn't kill him!"

"Listen, Joshua, he is more of a threat to us than we are to ourselves." He looked upon the boy. "In fact, I did him a favor ending his miserable existence."

"You have only known him for MONTHS!" Joshua exclaimed.

"Yeah?" Will's brows furrowed together and folded his arms. "And you have only been ME to him!" he pointed over his shoulder. "He doesn't even KNOW you, Joshua!" Joshua's face began to twist up in rage. "You don't have a friendship with him!"

"That is wrong, uncle Will." Joshua said as his words were dangerously on the edge of hurt. "You don't kill a man without his expressed consent! That's murder!"

Joshua shook his head then ran into the tunnel as he were followed by Judy and Penny to the cave system.

"Joshua!" Will called.

"Are we too late?" Judy asked.

"Not too late." Will said. "I just did it when Joshua got here."

From within the cavern, Joshua was peeling away layers of rock at a time as the Robinsons looked on toward the inside side by side. Joshua yanked off the rock until the man's collapsed figure was found. Joshua knelt down by the side the noiseless older man. Joshua shook Smith's shoulder as he cried, "Wake up, Doctor Smith! Please, wake up! Just please, wake up, old man! Wake up!"

Penny was the first to walk on into the chamber and kneel down by Joshua's side then put her hand on his shoulder. Judy walked on joining them as Will turned away then made his way back to the Jupiter 2. Judy knelt down by his side as Joshua fell apart in the cavern, sobbing, weeping, crying into his aunt's uniform. The older woman set her fingers along the older man's neck.

"He has a heart beat."

Joshua stopped sobbing and Penny stopped crying looking down upon the man.

"How---" Joshua flipped the man on to his back and noticed that his chest were moving. "He is alive!"

"Must have been knocked out cold." Judy said then started to laugh.

The women and Joshua started to laugh that turned into weeping.

* * *

"My medical sensors have concluded one thing only regarding Doctor Smith's well being."

"Report, Robot."

"Doctor Smith is in a coma. Chances of waking up are zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero point one percent."

It was silent at the long table. 

"Robot, how would you feel about being Doctor Smith's care taker?" Will asked.

The family's eyes were settled upon the machine.

"Robots cannot feel." Robot said.

"Is it acceptable is what Will is meaning to say." Don clarified.

"I am capable of performing the task." Robot said.

"Then that is part of your schedule." John said.

"I am going out on a walk." Will got up form the chair then went down the stairs and exited the ship.

Will walked and walked and walked and walked and walked until he were so far away from the Jupiter 2 that he was lost. He fell down to his feet on to a boulder then proceeded to cry. The failure of freeing a old friend from a existence that one mistake had sealed him down was heart breaking. He screamed, screeched, and shouted as he smacked his fist against the rock and threw things around the place until all that pent up rage was gone with one last scream of everything that he had been feeling.

Will was half the man that once went into space just as Smith was from the incident. Will sobbed as he rocked himself back and forth with his knees on the ground, his eyes closed, comforting himself. He had tried. And the attempt to help a old friend had backfired in his face. Will stopped crying after a few hours to himself then put his back against the rock. He threw small pebbles ahead of him, defeated.

What had he done to deserve this failure?

What had Will done to earn the scorn of the God above?

Will understood Smith's fate but not his own.


	6. Lost in Space: Forever Part 1

The Jupiter 2 was full of people and new decks since she had first launched from Earth. Her family was larger with two additional members that were born behind her hulls, a family, a machine that was still operational, and light fixtures that were not there before now decorated the outer hulls, but her basic design was still the same if not slightly larger. The family were on the bridge enjoying a nice morning admiring the stars ahead of them feeling warm and fuzzy even hopeful of what was on ahead of them. 

The warmth was gone with a strike that thrust the family from side to side. Robot was on the lower decks attending to the patient in the room that had been afforded to him and him only for the last few decades. The family stuck to the pipes that protruded out of the ship. Don pressed the rocket launcher as the ship shook from side to side to side. The Jupiter 2 twirled to face the attacking space craft that was designed quite oddly.

The Jupiter 2 made a blow that caused them to stop. The lights in the ship simmered on and off as the light dimmed losing all the intensity. The Robinsons looked around as the entire area felt different. Unusual mist drifted into the bridge that they hadn't seen before. The Robinsons were looking from one to the other.

"I am a friend of the Javas and their first contact specialist. We are the voices of reason." A collection of voices came from around the group. "Who are you?"

"We are the Robinsons and this is our home, the Jupiter 2." John said.

"We have heard of you."

"Why did you attack us?" John asked.

"You have invaded the Javas territory with no special permit or been informed that you were heading here by any special government."

"We didn't mean to do that." John apologized, sincerely. "We're sorry."

"You are forgiven." The Robinsons fell relieved by the comment that came from the many voices. "You may use our transport gate system but we require a deal to be made."

"What kind of deal?" John asked, warily.

"A deal." Was the reply.

John turned toward the family then nodded. The family went down to the lower decks of the ship and waited for the negotiation. The children played a space game at the table that earned laughter. A dozen so minutes into the game, the sound of John's voice came from the comn. Maureen bolted in the direction of the comn and unhooked the radio. She returned a moment later with a announcement:

"We are going to land, children."

The family went to their crash couches and buckled up.

* * *

The Robinsons spent some time becoming familiar to their rest stop replacing the old hulls with new. It was quiet aboard the ship as the family stretched their space legs and ore for the hull was mined. Maureen came to John one of the days and the professor turned toward her. 

"What is the deal?"

"Maureen, when I have decided, you will know it." John said. "The deal isn't finalized."

Maureen stroked the side of his aged cheek.

"Just tell me if it involves the children." Maureen said.

John took her hand then pecked the back of it and looked down upon Maureen.

"It doesn't." John assured.

Maureen smiled then hugged the professor as she closed her eyes and he squeezed his eyes, regretful.

* * *

It was three weeks later that John finally announced a family meeting. The family gathered at the table listening to what the head of the family had to say.

"We have a way home." John said.

"Finally, a way to Alpha Centauri." Will said, leaning back.

"Woohoo!" The women cheered.

"But, we have to make a trade off." Don said.

"What is the trade off?" Will asked.

"Hand over a non-essential crew member." John said.

"If we get to Earth, Robot wouldn't be essential and it is in his programming to be dumped aside after a month." Will said.

"Will, Robot is important." John said.

"Dad, who are we trading?" Will grew concerned as did the rest of the members who were silent.

"Doctor Smith will find himself returned to Earth after he has been taken care of." John replied.

"Okay." Will said.

"No . . . . No! No!" Joshua stood up from the table then walked away in disgust back at the main hub of the Robinsons. "We don't do that to one of our own!"

"It is the only way that he can ever recover." Don reminded the young Robinson man. "They may have technology that will help him recover from his nervous break down."

"Much as it sounds like one of his episodes; it's the logical solution." Judy said, bitterly.

"That is abandonment!" Joshua argued.

"Now, Joshua." Don argued back with a shake of his finger. "It isn't since we will see him---"

"Sell out! Betrayal! Hideous!" Joshua cut off his father's comment. "That isn't human giving up a mentally ill man in a coma to a bunch of aliens that may want to kill us all! We may never see him again! NEVER!"

"Joshua, you have always wanted Smith to be out of his coma."

"But not this way, mom." Joshua shook his head. "Not this way."

Joshua walked away and exited the Jupiter 2.

"He will find his way back to us." Penny said.

The Robinsons nodded in unison.

"They will be back in one week." John finished.

"I will get his measurements down and prepare his clothing." Maureen said.

Maureen got up from the table then retrieved the measurement tape and went into the cabin. Smith was resting on the bed, not animated as he used to be, fast asleep. She hadn't seated in the same room as he had been for the last thirty years. She smiled looking upon the man then toward the brain wave equipment that held his life signs on a separate square box.

At any given moment the elderly man could wake up and greet her with a smile, complain about his back, then walk off. It was the bitter parts of this. She watched her imaginary translucent specter of the older man watch off without asking what had brought the younger woman into the room.

She sighed for a moment as her shoulders lowered. Maureen proceeded to measure his limbs taking note of how well his metabolism had cared for his body, the regular activity of therapy for his arms by Robot showed as she lowered his arms. It was the smallest forms of farewell tending to his uniform for the first time in a long time since regulating him to Robot's schedule. 

Maureen came to the doorway of the cabin then turned toward Smith looking upon him with sorrow and dismay. She slowly slid the door close then turned her back to it. The family were outside of the ship by now bustling with activity taking care of the numerous tasks that had been spread out for the family.

Maureen returned to the uniform synthesizer then inputted the specific measurements. A familiar black, purple, and green uniform appeared with a pop to the counter of the uniform synthesizer. Maureen returned into the room then set the uniform on the counter.

"Dress Doctor Smith on Monday." Maureen said.

"Affirmative." Robot chirped from behind Maureen.

Maureen looked sadly upon the older man.

Maureen turned away then closed the door behind her.

* * *

It was surreal that Smith's time aboard the ship was severely limited and he was in trouble that he couldn't walk back out of it, be imagined, or pretend that was happening. If the older man had known what was happening, Will reckoned, Smith would be pleading to be spared, cry, weep, and have another nervous break down that would have kept him blissfully unaware of the deal that the Robinsons had made and he would believe something entirely different.

Will looked on toward the man who he had watched with the passing decades leaning against the frame of the cabin with his arms folded. _I should have done it differently. I should have shoved him off a cliff. I would have spared him of being in the arms of strangers._ Will's hands trembled from time to time when the thought struck him about how elderly, how unaware, and how terribly frighting it was going to be.

His attempt to help his friend had left him unable to voice any say or words about the arrangement. About the facts of the matter and the reality of it, Smith wouldn't be able to argue. He wouldn't be able to acknowledge or know of the matter that was going on around him as his broken mind kept him preoccupied but terrified on a daily basis.

Will's thoughts on the matter eased with a certain reminder.

He saw the Robinsons when they weren't there.

There was no need to cry on the matter, Doctor Smith was _always_ going to be with them.

In the shadows of a horribly cracked mind the adventures never ended; they only continued.

* * *

The week passed by quickly on the planet that the family were resting on for the time being. Most of the family were huddled in the other corner of the ship as the strangely developed aliens walked through the ship. Don held on to the shoulder of his ten year old dark haired daughter as did Judy keeping her at bay. It was Joshua who charged forward and blocked the aliens from the older man's cabin.

"Get out of the way, Earth man." Replied the tall Java.

"Joshua!" Don called. "Get out of the way."

"I change my mind, I am not going to let him be taken away without a fight." Joshua said.

"Then, what is the result if I win?"

"You can take him." Then Joshua added. "And me, if you like."

"Joshua!" Don called.

"It's okay, pops." Joshua said. "I am going to come out of this okay."

"That is going to backfire on you very quickly." Don said. "Being arrogant doesn't suit you."

"It suits me now." Joshua said.

"And if I lose, young Robinson?"

Joshua turned toward the leader.

"We can keep him." Joshua said. "Make sure he gets the medical treatment that he gets after we come across genuine space station with him in one of the freezing tubes."

"Do you accept this plan, Professor Robinson?"

John looked toward his grandson then back toward the Java leader.

"Yes." John said. "I do."

"Drop your phaser and weapons," Joshua held his fist up. "And fight like a gentleman, dear lizardly leader."

His fists were risen up as the tallest of the lizard beings dropped their cloak with all their weapons gone. They were scaled with a dragon head that had little humanoid features to it with antennas and hair that was braided down the side of their long neck. The leader of the lizard-dragons stood over the younger man then lowered themselves down. Joshua threw the first punch knocking them down to the ground and the alien creature stepped back up. 

The alien leader threw a punch back and Joshua hit the door. He got back up to his feet then charged throwing a sucker punch into the torso knocking them back. They traded blows back and forth until it was Joshua on the ground covered in scars, his uniform torn, with sweat dripping down his skin. Much like his father, he had stamina, rage, and a determination that kept him going when he should fall.

Judy watched as her son became a completely different version of himself with his knuckles covered in scrapes and his once well kept hair become messy. She watched a pacifist become a writer in the matter of a minute as his innocent and peaceful demeanor was all but gone. She watched as her son fight the Java leader sending out scores of teeth from the leader's jaw.

The Java leader got back up to their feet. The younger man was bouncing back and forth as he rubbed what was left of the blood from the corner of his mouth then grinned looking down upon the Java leader. The Java leader got a grip over the combat then stood over the man.

"You can surrender, Earth man."

"Not in a million light years, dear Lizardly."

"Stop calling me that."

"And lose what little I have of respect toward you?" He lifted up to his feet with a grin.

"A single word should not be the catalyst of respect, Earth man."

Joshua shook his head.

"I was taught that caring about others comes with that word when it means strangers even if you can't see them by a old friend of mine."

The Java punched the young man at the face knocking them down to the ground. The Java leader rubbed their knuckle then beckoned the associates toward the doorway of the cabin. The Robinsons looked on toward the fallen man on the floor groaning and sporting wounds that told of how badly that he had fought for the older man. Wounds that would heal over time, decidedly.

The associates went inside of the room then returned dragging the fully dressed man by the arms as his legs dragged behind him and his head hung. Penny stifled back a cry at the man's aged appearance as Will clung to her shoulder stopping her from going on toward the older man as he were set up to his feet. It was Will who stepped forward as the two associates and Smith popped away before their eyes unexpectedly once going toward the exit.

"Before we go, can't we get to say a good-bye?" Will asked. "After you get him fixed."

The Java leader turned toward Will then shifted toward the Professor then back toward Will.

"No." The Java leader replied then shook her hand. "We are to deposit him to Aeolusians home planet."

"Never heard of them." John said.

"They are squids." The Java leader said.

"Never met them." Don added.

"Oh? You don't know?" the Java leader tilted her head. "He met them before you."

"What is their home planet?" John asked.

"You call it Gamma." The Java leader replied. "But, to us?" Then she smiled in return as she straightened her head. "It is called Aeolus."

The Java leader picked Joshua up by the tunic then withdrew her hand. Will acted in a split second then tackled the Java leader down to the ground. The Java grasped Will by the neck collar chucked him away so the older Robinson boy hit the rim of the doorway then unexpectedly Joshua was up to his feet lunging after the Java leader. The Java leader was knocked down by the punch to the face and the younger man smacked his hand against his fist.

The Java leader got up and this time tackled the man down to his feet and crashed landing to his chest. Abruptly, just as Will had appeared, the older Robinson boy appeared standing in the way of Joshua with his arms out and defiance in his hazel eyes.

"If you're going to kill him then you're going to have to go through me." Will said.

Will cupped the side of his waist and the Java leader noticed.

"I did not give you that injury."

"Oh? This? Just a old wound just reopened." Will smiled back at the Java. "Oh. . " Will looked toward the wound in bewilderment then looked up toward the Java leader. "How did I do that?"

Will tipped over landing to his side.

"Your son has a wound that needs to be treated with the appropriate blood bags. Are you equipped for this?"

The Java leader turned toward the family.

"No." John replied. "We won't hand our grandson over when you intend to finish him off."

"Then would you like to lose two members of your family in one day?" The java leader asked. "I will take your grandson."

"No, I wouldn't." John said. "I rather lose one. We will bring him."

The Java leader grinned knelt down and pop, they were gone.

"Got a plan?" Don asked. 

John was silently fuming from within as he turned toward Don.

"He fought unfairly." John said. "My father once said, 'When you have unfair, you need fair to make it right again'."

The Robinsons grinned.


	7. Lost in Space: Forever part 2

The space pod departed from the Jupiter 2 toward the large machine that was made of aging rings that were coated in a fine layer of rust. Joshua was staring out the window as the men were armed leaving behind the only home that he had only known in his life. The space pod drifted through the vacuum of space heading into the hangar bay.

Maureen sat at the bridge alongside Judy. They stared with uncertainty toward the hunk of machinery that floated in space keeping itself in orbit by a unique system that it in one at place at the same time. The Jupiter 2 stood on front of the circular gate waiting for clearance and the family to be made whole once more.

"The plan is going to work." Maureen said.

"It will." Judy chimed.

"And we will be home within the hour." Penny said.

"As one big happy family." Added Judy's daughter, May, with a smile.

"One big happy family." Maureen agreed looking toward her family with a small smile.

Penny stood behind her including the youngest Robinson girl. It was strange to be in a half empty ship without her older brother, her father, her grandfather, and her uncle. The thought of going to a planet that was far more alien than peace and being where they were supposed to be. The women were holding their breaths waiting for the large family to be reunited.

It felt wrong to be aboard the Jupiter 2 without them.

* * *

Will awoke in a bright purple room with glowing buttons and screens all over. He looked in awe at the advanced technology around him that showed little of its age. He slipped off the cot then set on the side. He untucked his repaired uniform spotting the scar that had once been knitted carefully by his mother with space surgical thread.

He tucked his uniform in then buttoned the uniform up against the rims of the pant that buckled up with a simple press. He looked on spotting a familiar figure resting on a bed that was glowing softly around the outline of the bed. Will approached the bed observing the man's hands were by his side as they were time and time again but this time they weren't on a blanket or a silver sleeping bag. Will reached out then reached his hand back as he were burned by the force field around him.

Will lowered his hand down as he blew at it.

"Ow."

Will looked upon the older man.

"Are you awake, Doctor Smith?"

Will knelt down and spotted that the man's chest were moving.

"He is still in a coma." Will said as his hands rolled into fists. "She said they would help them."

"They are helping him." A strange machine came beside him. "They have only turned off his audio track."

The tall but thick machine reached a claw out then tapped on the keyboard.

"Who are you?" Will asked.

The machine whirred toward him.

"I prefer not to have a designation."

"Why?"

"It makes for painful situations."

"That's what life is."

"Machines outlast organic units and are capable of growing attached---Most of my line was destroyed by becoming connected to them that way."

"Then what is it worth living for if you don't have a name to refer to yourself? Do you mean to tell me that you have been living without a name since you came online? Names don't establish relationships," he approached the machine as his hand outlined the edge of the biobed. "They establish identity. "

The machine whirred away.

"Do you have a name for your machine?"

"We call him Robot."

"That is not a name. It is what he is. Not who he is."

Will became quiet for a solid moment then chuckled.

"Beat me there." Will replied with a smile. "We don't really know his name. We were supposed to be told his name himself upon arriving to Gamma."

Will closed his eyes as uncomfortable memories resurfaced.

"He never did."

"Never really did."

"Pity."

"World of a pity." Will looked upon the older man. "We're going home, sane, safe and sound, all in one piece."

"He is your tribute?"

Will smiled lifting his gaze up on to the machine.

"No." Will shook his head. "Trade."

The machine wheeled away then pressed a button and Will overheard the man snoring.

"Is this sound significant?"

"It is." Will replied then wiped off his tears and sighed closing his eyes with a shaky sigh. "I forgot how he used to snore."

Will started to cry.

"Have you not lived with him?"

"I have." Will admitted. "But, he has been in a coma."

"This make sense why they put him into the regenerator unit."

Will turned his gaze on to the machine beside him.

"What did they fix?" Will asked.

"Are you family?"

"I am not." Will shook his head.

"Then I cannot answer your question."

Will looked upon the resting man.

"Woe is me . . . woe is me . . . " Will said, sorrowfully. "Woe is me."

The younger man sighed then shifted his attention toward the machine beside him. He put a hand on the side of the man's forearm as he looked back at better days that Smith had before. Will looked back with fondness at the memories of the sweet, the innocent, and the childish. His heart ached then his attention shifted toward the machine covering the man's head.

"What I can say is that he is currently being treated for his nervous breakdown that was detected."

"How far will it go?"

"It will erase most of his memories to before the situation that lead him to what he is in now."

"Before he met me?"

"Affirmative."

Will became horrified, wordlessly, looking down upon the elderly man.

"Will you be there?"

"Negative." the machine twirled toward Will. "My purpose is bound to the med bay. That is my only assignment."

"So he will be completely alone." Will said. "All alone on Gamma to what aliens want him."

"Affirmative."

Will looked upon Smith then frowned and turned toward the control panel for the biobed that his old friend was laid on. Will thought it over for a few minutes looking toward the doorway then back toward the older man's figure laid on the bed. Will looked back at the situation and what they had done to get into this position. His resolve only grew in levels.

Suddenly, Will smacked his fist against the console repeatedly until it hurt as the cracks and damage began to show and glass shattered against his knuckles. Will was thrown back when the console exploded abruptly and the machine wailed as she, too, were thrown back from the counter-destructive protocols that had activated. Will was slumped against another biobed as the lid to the regenerator unit slid up and smoke drifted off the bed. 


	8. Lost in Space: Forever part 3

It was perhaps the oddest turn of events; going into a spaceship. It had been years since the professor and the major had gone into one. A full couple of decades in the fine confine of space that had little space stations scattered around that were so far away that it was hard to find another soul out in space. The space pod door opened so the men came pouring out of the craft which is where they were greeted by two guards standing side by side.

John followed them with Robot tagging behind him.

"Robot, get Will, immediately." John said. "By the time that we return, Will better be there."

"I will do my best to find him, Professor Robinson." Robot replied.

"Good-bye, Robot." Joshua called.

"Are you ready to do this, son?" Don asked, concerned.

Joshua looked toward Don with a smile.

"I have been trained by uncle Will to kick alien, dad." Joshua said. "What makes you think that I won't?"

"Well, she did beat you." Don reminded.

"This time she won't," Joshua grinned.

That was the last bit of the conversation that the machine heard as he rolled on ahead of the group going down a separate hall. Their voices became distant to him and null to his audio antenna sensors. Robot detected several odd life forms that were nothing in nature similar to the lifeforms that he lived around daily. Their nature was alien and quite unique all the way contrasting against the initial aliens they had come across. His long range scientific sensors indicated they were something else.

Robot went through his processor of previous encounters with aliens that had looked different. He passed by a strange life form that had three spines and four fingers instead of five on each hand. The guards were less odd then the alien crew member. It became quite apparent to Robot that he were traveling through the corridor of strangeness filled with creature that he could not see but could detect.

Robot quickly traveled through the corridors until he came across what sounded to be a explosion. A tall machine started to fire at Will and Robot neutralized the threat. Robot came through the smoke as Will turned his head in the direction of the newcomer then grinned as he got up to his feet.

"Danger has been neutralized." Robot said.

"Robot, can your advanced sensors find a lift for Doctor Smith?"

"Affirmative, there is one to your eleven."

Will turned around and spotted a dolly lift.

"Then we're getting out of here!"

"This does not compute, Will Robinson." Robot replied. "Doctor Smith is to be left here for the Javas." Will slid the man to his feet then sent him over toward the lift and strapped him on to the flat surface. "It is stipulated as part of the deal."

Will looked toward Robot.

"Not when they intend to remove his memories." Will said.

"Removing memories to treat a individual does not compute." Robot said.

"Exactly my thinking." Will said.

"Correction, this change of action computes thoroughly." Robot replied, sounding surprisingly disgruntled.

 _I could be projecting,_ Will rationalized. He wasn't quite sure with the machine that acted monotonous and made comments that sounded as if it were sarcasm. Everyone was certain that he wasn't sapient but comments like these made them doubt. Will didn't know what to say when it came to the machine's sudden tone of voice that sounded so human but very Robotician. _Is this how Doctor Smith hears him in his head?_

"This practice was outlawed on Earth due to its impacts on the patients that lead to consequences such as short term memory loss, long term memory loss, suicidal thoughts, and depression---"

"Stop being a booby, you bubble headed encyclopedia and help me get him to the ship." Will cut off Robot.

"Affirmative." Robot followed the younger man. "I have your six!"

"Keep your defense system up, Robot!" Will replied as he slid the dolly forward. "They should notice any time soon that they got one less energy signature."

And Will grinned.


	9. Lost in Space; Forever part 4

Everything happened so fast as it always did in their decades long venture into space. One moment, John was shaking the hand of his grandson, smiling back at him, proudly, then the next he was running with the major fleeing from the attacking guards making way for the space pod. Don fired back at the attacking creatures covering John's back. The plan was going to work, they just needed to let Joshua have a little more time before using the hyper drive. The men leaped inside of the space pod then flew out of the ship heading for the Jupiter 2.

The space pod flew after the Jupiter 2 then dived into the ship. The space portal appeared before the Robinsons eyes as they clenched their hands together. Will slid Smith out of the space pod, down the steps, with Robot followed behind him. The Jupiter 2 was shaken from side to side with much of the Robinsons being alarmed by the activity. Maureen was at the console avoiding blast after blast coming from the station as the men clung on and Judy returned fire.

John lunged forward then crashed down sending the straps that let go of Smith's figure as the ship loudly roared from the strike being crashed upon the hull. Smith stumbled back with a shriek as the ship roared toward the freshly opened portal and the older man covered his eyes -- his fingers spread out -- with his eyes closed, trembling.

"Jupiter 2, get out!"

"Joshua!"

"Grandmother, I have her out!"

"What is going on---"

"The defense systems is still working!"

"Can you try to stop it?"

There was a long moment of silence as the ship wrecked with blasts.

"I can't stop it! I can't!" Joshua's voice was frantic over the line. "GO! GO!"

"Hold on to your butts!" Don announced.

Smith's side landed against the astronavigator briefly then swayed back as the ship regained balance and the ship bolted through the portal leaving behind the trouble that had been stirred by themselves. The ship was still as it tore through the tunnel quite alone with a distant security detail chasing after the Robinsons. A lone whimper came from behind the women as a sigh of relief echoed through the bridge. 

"Oh dear. Where are we, William? I am afraid to look!"

Will put a hand on Smith's shoulder.

"Where you have always been." Will said with a small bitter smile.

"What?" Smith screeched. "No! Not again!"

Don turned toward the elderly man.

"That coma must have been heaven for him." Don noted with a laugh.

"Indeed!" Smith exclaimed, glaring at the silent machine beside him. "What about me, you mechanical moron?"

"This does not compute." Robot said and Smith's eyes flashed open.

"Mind your manners or you will lose your friends!" Smith retorted.

"My manners are programmed to be truthful." Robot replied as his helm bobbed up in alarm and his helm twirled. "I have always minded my manners."

"Daddy, why is the old man talking to Robot that way?" May asked.

"Doctor Smith is a little not sane." Don twirled a finger in the air alongside his head.

"Stop spouting gibberish and speak simple English!" Smith demanded.

"He was a lot funnier the way I remembered him." Judy remarked.

"How dare you puny animus pipsqueak!" Smith retorted.

"He is just as silly and childish as I remember." John recalled.

"Woe is me!" Smith whined in the background.

"Just as a complainer as he was in his fantasies." Judy said, fondly as the older man droned on.

The family laughed getting off the stress, the amusement, and the feelings that had been inside of them all. 

"That may not be true, Doctor Smith." Will said. "We have a good idea of where we are and where our course is set. And that's Earth."

"For once in our lives . . . ." Don said. "We are going home."

"Earth?" Smith's eyes flashed open. "Did you say; _Earth_?"

"Yes, sir." Will replied.

"Oh joy, oh bliss! Oh William!"

Smith lit up as he slowly turned away from the children facing the younger man as though acknowledging that he were standing there across from him. Will was frozen where he stood on the heel of his feet like a buck caught in the headlights of a upcoming car from a comment made toward his direction from a very well aged voice. The rest of the next comment was something that Will didn't catch as he looked on toward his old friend at a shock watching a familiar old light flickering in the aged blue eyes. 

"--I have always admired your bravery, your courage, and I shall help you with the work." Smith paused, sheepishly. "Depending on my delicate back." 

Will looked toward the family.

"Can we put him into stasis for the rest of the trip?"

"That is hardly a matter of discussion, Will." John said "You did steal Doctor Smith from the Javas. He will be wide awake whether we like it or not."

"Why did you get him out of there, anyway?" Don asked.

"They were going to wipe his memory, Don." Will said. "That's one line that can't be crossed and I won't cross that; _ever_." Will shook his head then toward the older man as he leaned against the astronavigator looking toward the older man. "Because then, you won't have the defendant who committed the crimes on the stand or facing his mistakes."

"Father, we have a oncoming craft heading this way."

"Maureen, can you continue flying the ship?" John asked.

Maureen looked toward John then nodded.

"I can." Maureen said.

"Judy, do you feel ready to return fire?" John asked.

"It is the fight of our lives, father." Judy said. "I can do it."

"Everyone, get to the lower decks, now!" John ordered.

The family made their way to the elevator car as Will and Don stayed behind then put their hands on the center of the older man's back.

"Zach, you have to come down to the lower decks with us whether you can hear us or n---"

The ship trembled then the family were flung aside. Smith screeched crashing against the machine and kept himself up in one piece clenching on to the v-neck of the machine. Judy pressed the trigger not once but twice. Don clenched on to the back rest of the chair as he slid aside. The family looked on spotting a black hole up ahead from different parts of the Jupiter 2. Will kept his footing as the ship shook from side to side as they all braced for hope that things were going to be alright.

The family braced themselves from the lower deck of the ship except for the three men on the bridge the Jupiter 2's thrusters abruptly turned on then sent the ship fleeing out of the tunnel. Judy reached her hand out and pressed a button that ceased all the flight forward once the portal had been exited. The family regained their bearings as Smith was covering his eyes with his hand, panting, terrified with a tremble. The family opened their eyes as Smith whimpered from above.

"Made it! We made it!" Will cried. "We made it!"

"We are home! We are home!" Judy cheered. "We are back home!"

"After thirty-three years." Maureen said as she saw the kelper belt ahead of her. 

Don turned toward the elderly man who was beside the machine.

"You can open your eyes now, Doctor Smith." Don said, looking down upon the very aged man.

Smith uncovered his eyes then smiled looking over toward Don.

"Now well done, William." Smith applauded then turned toward Robot. "Now, as for you neanderthal ninny, prepare my belongings!" The machine lowered their helm down. "Bad form to keep the welcoming committee waiting, you know."

"Affirmative." Robot wheeled away as Judy and Will were hugging.

"Time to synthesize a formal Jupiter 2 uniform this time around." Don said as he and Will went down the corridor leaving Smith behind talking to thin air. "Isn't that right?"

"I have never been in a formal uniform, Don." Will said. "What are they like?"

"Stuffy, embarrassing, and tight." Don said. "I used to think it was such a show off." 

Judy approached Smith and hugged him, abruptly, then silently cried listening to him, "Oh, the pain. The pain." Judy stepped back and wiped a tear off.

"Mother. . ." Judy said. "How long will it take for him to get better?"

"A few weeks at most." Maureen replied then looked on with pity toward the sulking older man who was whimpering. "I will get him down. Judy, man the bridge."

Judy wiped off a tear with her sleeve then nodded.

"Doctor Smith, how about we join the others and celebrate this momentous occasion?"

"I do suppose I need a nap after this disappointing episode." Smith complained as he wiped a tear off with a flick of his finger. "Being elderly, touched by time, mortal, and capable of never stepping foot on Earth in this lifetime."

"I wouldn't be so certain of that," Maureen said, her arm linked with the older man.

"I admire your optimism, my dear boy." Smith admitted.

"Some days, I do too." Maureen said.

"You're all alone, now." he sighed. "if only---No, that's in the past."

Maureen put a hand on his shoulder then squeezed it as he shook his hand.

"It will be back in the past in a few hours." Maureen promised the elderly man.

They went toward the doorway then Maureen pressed a button.

"What is done is done." Smith said with finality in his voice and the door to the corridor opened. "We were meant to be lost." Maureen was the first to walk through then Smith followed her through the corridor. "It is far better than dying in your sleep on the way to Alpha Centauri because of a unforeseen natural disaster."

So that was how he was dealing with being lost. How he had finally came to some kind of resolve over it in his little version of reality. Maureen walked slowly looking upon Smith in pity and heartbreak as the elderly man closed his eyes in regret with a wince. He couldn't hear her in his crushed world, in his broken mind, but he was in all the same comforting himself. It was quite unique insight that she hadn't seen from his broken mind. 

"Being responsible for your death intentionally?" The elderly man continued, picking his voice up, his gaze shifting toward Maureen. "I couldn't live with myself that way after living with your family for three years."

Maureen smiled back, softly.

"Neither could we." Maureen said.

* * *

Smith was napping in his cabin as the family celebrated their return to their solar system. There was sweets and pie decorating the galley table that were half eaten and the family were holding up their ceramic cups that were full of champagne wearing party hats. Robot was set across from in the middle of the ship that was wider with a few more rooms that hadn't been there when the ship first flew on her maiden voyage even additional quarters. 

"Hip hip hip hooray!"

"Hip hip hooray!"

"Hip hip hooray!"

The family took a toast.

"We're going to Earth!" May cheered. "A hospital planet, mommy!"

"Hopefully, they have already colonized another planet that isn't covered from top to bottom in people interested in Smith." John said,

"Mars is the nearest planet, John." Don reminded.

"That would be a lot of man power making a big hole for millions of Jupiters to go underneath." John said.

"Or a pet project that may have been done after finding out about the squids being on Alpha Centauri." Will said.

"Are we ever going to see Joshua, again?" Penny asked.

"I don't know." John admitted with a shrug. "But I do know this, he is a Robinson. If he wants to come home then he will find a way."

One by one the members of the family nodded then sipped from their cups.

"What are we going to do next after we drop off Smith?" Don asked.

"Stay awhile on Earth then. . ." John looked aside thinking of everything that had to be done upon their return. "This time, make it to Alpha Centauri wide awake."

* * *

Two hours later as they were getting closer to Earth, Maureen pressed several buttons on the synthesizer over and over with new uniforms appearing then placed on the table. Don went up the deck as the other family members looked upon the marble that waited for them. Will's eyes shifted from the planet on ton the moon nearby.

"Dad, is that a fleet of rocketships on the moon?" Will asked. "Or have I finally cracked?"

"I suppose it is." John said in awe.

"It reminds me of those 1950's films." Maureen said. 

"Look, there is a hydroponic dome with layers in one of the craters." Penny pointed out in awe.

"This old girl feels like she is outdated." John said. "I wonder what changed their minds having saucers doing all the hard work?"

"This old ship going missing and never being found." Maureen said with a laugh then shook her head. "Is it really old?"

"We are thirty-three years older than how we were when we left this planet, darling." John said.

"Except for that journal." Will said.

Will smirked then retrieved his clothing and went into his cabin. Smith exited the cabin with a depressed sigh closing the door behind him. He looked resigned and ready to fall apart even deeper into the illusion. Smith was shaken even visibly on the brink of tears. His hands were slipped together, finger in between finger, interlocked in his grip. Maureen locked eyes upon him then captured him into a hug. Smith didn't fight back against the hug but only put his hands between her shoulder blades as if compensating for someone taller than him.

"You're going to be home, soon." Maureen said. "I promise."

Maureen withdrew from him clasping on to his hands with her hands.

"You are too kind, my dear boy." Smith replied with a small smile of his own upon Maureen. 

"We have to be kind, Doctor Smith." Maureen said. "It is how we have a better tomorrow and keep it that way."

"Your parents raised you well." The words were sharp then he cleared his throat. "You had your parents for thirteen years and I feel that I won't get over that any time soon."

Smith walked away from her.

"At least get into your new uniform." Maureen handed the synthesized space corps military uniform for Smith into his hands. 

Smith sighed, lowering his head, wincing.

"It all ends this way. Doesn't it? Alone, dying, forgotten, in a saucer searching for home. You're going to out live us all, my dear boy."

"It is best to have loved than not to have not loved at all." Maureen said. "That is what life is about."

"Is that your mother's teachings or your fathers?" Smith lifted his brow.

"My father's." Maureen admitted. "I hear you, Doctor Smith. Some of your most famous phrases still live on to this day."

"That will be my legacy and this empty eroding ship will be it once we land on a planet with no fuel." Smith said. "But to spend the last years of my life with friends?" he forced himself to smile back at the younger woman. "That is not a bad way of shuffling to the next plane of existence."

Smith went to his cabin and Maureen wept into her hands at the reality that had been handed to her. A sure reality that could have been a very good possibility for her son and her grandchildren. John came out of the cabin as the door to Smith's cabin closed. The professor heard the quiet sounds of her tears as he joined her side. 

"He will be okay in a few weeks," John reminded, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Like you said."

"I am not crying about him, John." Maureen replied as she shook her head. "I am crying for what we could have lived as if we didn't hand Doctor Smith over."

"Does it make you happy what we did?" John asked.

"Yes." Maureen nodded, tearfully.

"Do you regret it?" John asked.

"No." She looked aside, with a small smile, then her gaze shifted toward him. "Not one word." Her lips uncurled but had the bare hints of the small that lingered on in her eyes with the subtle smile. "It's the best decision that you have made."

Maureen went inside with John then John closed the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended it to be a few short lines from Lost in Space forever appearing but then I ended writing the entire short. Almost.


	10. Lost in Space: Forever part 5

The Jupiter 2 came to the landing pad that was surrounded by military police. The Auxillary deck window was closed off then John came to the front door and pressed the button then beckoned them on to the platform below. Don was the first to go down then Judy followed as did the rest of the family. Smith remained behind Robot clenching on to the hook.

Don breathed in the fresh unrecycled air of the planet then grinned as he leaped off the beam to the landing gear then he helped Judy down and May was helped down to the hard pavement. The Robinsons remained on the doorsteps acting as a long single file line that blocked entrance to the large Jupiter 2 facing the MP's and several military officers.

"Professor Robinson, we have talked over the line, I am General Morrison."

"I remember you." John said. "You were a colonel that was the head of the family program."

"And Squires was the head of Alpha Control." Morrison replied with a chuckle. "Back in the old days."

"Is he still?" John lifted a brow up.

"No, Professor." Morrison said. "He retired ten years ago."

"Have you colonized Gamma?" John asked.

"We had to change plans with a treaty we did with the species that live there. We have colonized most of this solar system and a distant planet." Morrison smiled back at the younger man. 

"So no."

"Do you still have your reluctant stowaway aboard?"

"We do." John confirmed with a nod, somberly, then noted with amusement. "Can't seem to quite get rid of him no matter what we do."

"Is Doctor Smith . . ." Morrison motioned toward the ship. "Does he remain unwell?"

The Robinsons stared down upon Morrison, somberly, yet eerily from the stair steps. 

"If you are going to try to put him through a circus, you have another thing coming." Don pointed toward the ship with his thumb. "Robot is under John's orders to protect Smith's well being and well--if you make him have a bad episode while he recovers. . ."

"Then the only person who is going to get hurt will be yourself and Robot." Maureen finished for the major.

The collective but powerful glare of the unified Robinsons remained upon the military officials and Morrison. Their scorn was enough to bring shame upon them as it was silent scolding upon and defiance at the authorities. It didn't suit the Robinsons to be so dark and intimidating but threatening they were. Morrison slowly nodded upon their silence.

"So, you want us not to prosecute him?" Morrison asked.

"That is what my family wants." John looked among his family then back upon Morrison.

"And we like something else." Penny spoke up.

"Name it." Morrison said.

"We need Doctor Smith at a community home for a little while." Will pointed over his shoulder toward where the older man was inside. "Somewhere rural--" 

"Somewhere with animals," Penny said.

"Signs of civilization!" Judy added.

"Like telephone poles, houses," May rattled off the top of her head. "And those phones grandma misses." 

"Outside of a town is preferable." Maureen said.

"With a lake." Judy said.

"Or a beach." Penny said.

"It has to be a community place." John emphasized on the matter. 

"I will make sure that he is located somewhere with all those arrangements." Morrison replied then scanned the members of the family. "Earth isn't the same planet that you have left, Robinsons. We have robots doing most of the work here and flying cars."

"Yeah, and that community has to use cars." Don said. " _Cars_ , Morrison." His glare rested upon the man that was older than Don was and his voice carried the sincere of what he wanted. "Or Smith won't get any better."

"That is going to be a lot of stress having to adapt to a new era of Earth." Will said. "Slowly, transition him over to modern day technology."

"And he will be fine." John concluded.

"We got a program for people like him. People who prefer living in a different time like the Amish do but it is not a huge community." The family grinned broadly and cheered in celebration with laughter that relieved the tension in the air. All was going to become well just the way it had been before. Will was grinning the hardest. "I will have to make some calls to get him in."

"Then make them." Was Don's reply as everyone remained thrilled and overjoyed of the announcement. "Because we are not leaving from the Jupiter 2 until we know he is taken care of."

"Alright, alright." Morrison shook his hands. "I will take care of that right away."

Morrison walked away then a thin transparent device from his pocket then swiped on it.

"Do you think he is going to hear us once he gets out of the Jupiter 2?" Judy asked.

"Smelling clean air," John said. "This air is like the air of every planet."

"He won't hear us now but Doctor Smith will hear us later." Penny said.

"He will feel the breeze." Don commented with a smile as he enjoyed the cool breeze.

"Doctor Smith won't be able to fully enjoy being on Earth until later." Will noted with a overjoyed laugh.

"It's good to be home." John said.

"Where do we go, next?" Maureen asked. 

"Anywhere you want to be, Maureen." John said. "Anywhere."

And Maureen smiled back at the grayed professor with affection.


	11. The film

"That's not the Robinson family on this script."

"John, they are."

"Maureen, that would never have happened that way."

"It wouldn't have, but we need to make money. This is just a fun piece of entertainment." then she held up three of her fingers. "Three movies, they are planning."

"It reads like a nightmare, Maureen. It will never sell." John grimaced before he added on to the thought. "Will's kind of nightmare. It's worse than one of Doctor Smith's nightmares."

"John, what do you feel about their take on you?" Maureen asked

"They turned him right into his father." John said, bitterly. "That man isn't John Robinson. That's a stranger. I don't recognize him as me."

"You don't recognize yourself." Maureen said, softly.

"Do you?" John asked.

"I do." Maureen said. "A little, darling."

"It took them five weeks to make this script." John smacked his hand against the script with a layer of disgust in his voice. "This a entirely thoughtless, soulless, and unscientific piece of blasphemy I have ever seen. The only one who does sound like themselves is Smith." then he paused looking up from the paper as a thought occurred to him. "It's like. . ."

Maureen read it over then looked toward John. 

"Did one of the script writers pay a visit to Doctor Smith?" Maureen finished the thought for John.

John handed the script to Maureen then dialed the old fashioned phone.

"I like to find that out." 

John twirled the number repeatedly as he looked toward the sheet of paper with the script writer's name.

"If they have visited him and have undone weeks of progress, I don't know what I would do but I would make them pay for interfering in a rehabilitation of a man."

"In what way?"

" **ALL** their funds they make for the movie will pay for his bills is what I am thinking!" John announced as he furiously dialed on the old fashioned phone. "Just the left over funds that don't go over to the actors."

"I am going to appear as the principal."

John looked toward Maureen.

"Maureen, that scene says he customizes your hologram."

"How bad can it be?"

John frowned, unhappy by the thought, then winced.

"I'll let you find out on opening night." John put the phone to his ear. "Hello, have you paid Doctor Smith a visit?"

John paused, listening, for half a hour. 

"Normally. . ." John started slowly but in a tone that sounded as if he were informing Alpha Control of a certain matter that revealed the errors of their mission preparation. That kind of voice that Maureen cherished the most about John and loved to bits. "I would let Will vent about this but I am going to do it for him because we told you, people like you, to leave Doctor Smith alone and keep him stress free."

The professor sighed.

"You wonder why he ran away from you, ran down a hill, crashed into a pond, ran into the forest, and kept running away from you and the search party for days when he is at a rehabilitation community and you _knew_ that." His words were as if he were operating a machine gun firing truth into the face of the other person on the phone. "Doctor Smith had a nervous breakdown thirty-four years ago and what you did with that line of questioning was pour salt over a open wound."

In the following hour, he was giving the script writer a dressing down and shaming them for not asking his family about the man that Doctor Smith was before. Maureen shook her head as she laughed resting on the couch then slipped out a novel and placed on reading glasses as her husband's voice became background noise. Eventually, John smacked the receiver down with a thud. 

"I am going to do some mowing." John announced.

John walked out to the back yard.

* * *

"Yeah, I like to appear as the older Will." Will said.

Will overheard the sound of a hum.

"How about you appear as the lackey."

Will flipped through the pages.

"The---who now?" Will's brows rose at once.

Will turned away from the advanced model of Robot.

"The man who addresses the man as Doctor Smith."

Will frowned.

"The man who introduces the audiences to him?" Will asked, incredulously.

"Yes, it is pretty important lines."

"No. That is less than ten lines." Will replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "No important driving force in the film?" Will shook his head as he paced back and forth in the room. "I am just a minor character in there when they got lost." he put a hand on the side of his hip. "How about I be the business guy?"

"We are going to get your friend Doctor Smith for that."

Will's hand was trembling as he held the phone against his ear.

"I can't do that, bye."

Will tapped his finger against the red button then dialed another number and put it against his ear. 

"Hey, Will! What's up? We are working on the planetary self-defense system for Mars."

"They are going to pay a visit to Doctor Smith." Will said.

"Who is, Will?" Don's voice grew concerned.

"The filmmakers." Will clarified as a small 'Oh' came from the other side of the conversation. 

"Oh, they want to do--WHAT?"

"They want him to appear after they set him back." Will replied.

"I just got the last report last night about his mental health and he is in no position to play pretend." Don seethed back, his tone mellow, but the fury was all there in his words that weren't be shouted out. "Smith still thinks he is being held on a alien planet, with you, and Robot is with him."

Don was furious from the other end of the line. Will set the phone on the table as he multitasked with installing a large screen television set in his apartment. Will smiled to himself, things were getting better, a lot better. Things were finally going the way that he had wanted then he started to laugh at Don's comment. Even as his recovery was going smoothly, some of the residue was lingering on more than necessary.

"He is getting better." Don admitted. "his episodes are starting to become better, his sleep schedule is, and he is eating a lot better according to the nurses. I don't want all that progress erased."

"So, when can we visit him?" Will asked. 

"They keep saying soon but I think months from now." Don said. 

"I look forward to that." Will grinned. 

"If they visit him, it will blow up in their faces." Don acknowledged the reality of their visit. "and I don't think that guy, good actor, Gary something?" 

"Gary Oldman. He was in that flick, Air Force One, Penny and my girlfriend Clara took me there to see it last night. That was a excellent movie." Will said, warmly, but quite happy over the thought. "A instant classic!"

"I don't think he would want that to happen either." Don laughed in his reply to the younger man then his laughter faded. "Speaking of which, I have to give him a call about how Smith was on his good days." Don smiled at the thought. "He is a very thorough man going through the proper channels, I will give him that."

"Are you going to appear in the film?" Will asked.

"Yep." Don confirmed.

"Do you recognize yourself?" Will asked.

"Hell no. But, I thought it would be fun to do." Don replied with a snicker. "Did John tell you Robot is appearing in that new shell at the end."

"No, I haven't heard any of that." Will put his hand under his elbow as he sat back at the desk. "I have been working."

"It is a ugly thing." Don said.

"I liked Doctor Smith the way that he was before." Will admitted.

"I heard you're working on it." Don leaned against the wall. "How is that going?"

"Starting from scratch isn't easy building Robot's new shell. I am going to make him purple." Will chuckled as he leaned back into the chair. "That part is decided."

"I will get the military police ordeal all figured out." Don assured the younger man. "Thanks for the call, I will get the visiting issue taken care of. And tell your girlfriend Clara I said hello!"

"I will, I will." Will said then tapped on the red button and resumed what he were doing with a smile.

* * *

It was later that year Robot arrived and spotted the equipment. Robot was silent as the younger man had his hands on his hips. Unexpectedly, Robot electrocuted the form until all that was left was it in pieces of scrap metal, circuits, and shattered glass that were laid all over the place. Will looked on in horror at the pieces of metal. 

"That is worse than this."

"Robot, you didn't have to do that!"

"That is a abomination!"

"Robot, who has meddled with your programming in the last year?"

"No one has."

"Was it one of the prop artists to make your electrical strikes more realistic in the upcoming movie?"

"Negative."

"Was it a story writer?"

"Negative."

"That shell is---WAS better than the one you're currently in!"

"Will, my advanced sensors were able to detect that this is a navigation model."

Will pouted then folded his arms and shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose it is."

"I am a environmental model. That shell has arms on the side not on the chassis."

"Robot, uh, may I remove that programming? Because that's not you."

"That felt good to destroy the shell." Robot admitted. "You may do that if my actions are frightening."

Will stared at the machine. _Good?_ He wondered if only briefly, ho _w can he feel? Did they install a emotional programming that corresponded to how parts of his internal parts were?_ With Robot's outburst, Will had a clear picture of what Smith used to acknowledge as a person in his cracked mind. The younger man grimaced, Robot hadn't grown naturally on his own as a AI.

"Where is your programming adjuster?"

"It is on the back."

"Okay, I will get it."

Will climbed up the steps then slid down the panel and proceeded to remove the programming.

"Will,"

"Yeah, Robot?"

"How are you doing? It has been approximately seven months since our return to Earth. Most of your family are experiencing minor disruptions being among civilization."

Will paused, holding his finger up above the button, thinking it over then smiled.

"I am excited, Robot." Will said. "Just to really get to know Doctor Smith and to be heard."

"He has heard you." Robot said.

"I mean, really heard me." Will lowered his head as his smile faded. "That would be nice for a change." he looked aside, bitterly. "Being real friends."

"Doctor Smith has always seen you as his friend in his delusions, Will." Robot said.

"Sometimes, I wonder why." Will said.

Will sighed, but this time his mood lightened, looking back in nostalgia.

"Then I remember waking up in the middle of the night in the first few months on that barren planet finding Doctor Smith playing chess with you. I can still hear him arguing that you made a good chess player with your intelligence down a notch then noticing me. I remember staying up real late that night playing chess with him. I was just a boy and he was a old man. Now, I am becoming the old man and. . . I don't have a friend to play chess with on some nights after a bad dream."

"You have Clara."

"She is not interested in it, Robot."

"William Robinson, she is your love interest, is she not?"

"Yeah, but---"

"Let her be your friend." Robot said. "From a friend to a friend, that is how romances last, the friendship is the crux of it."

"Alright, I will show her what games that I like." Will said. "Thank you, Robot."

"You are welcome." Robot replied.

"What do I call the new model?" Will asked.

"Series 1A-1998 robot." Robot said. "I am a 9B-1997 model."

"Okay, I will do that. . . . What is 1998 for, though?"

"General West has made comments about wishing for a robot that focuses on navigation for the second year when we started our journey in space."

"I will then." Will said. "I will."

Then Will pressed the button and the reprogramming was done then the helm lowered and descended down the stairs.

"Robot, thanks for your attendance." Will said. "Go back to what you were doing before. What was it, anyway?"

"I am due at a convention." Robot turned away then rolled away.

* * *

Will awoke from a nightmare, panting, then slipped out of bed. He walked to the bathroom then turned the water on. He held his hands out gathering the cold water then splashed it against his face. He looked up toward the mirror seeing himself for who and what he was. He wasn't getting any older and if he kept his current girlfriend out of the loop then he was keeping her from the person that she had bunked with while her house was being used by her siblings.

"Another nightmare, Will?"

Will turned the water off then shifted toward Clara.

"Yeah." Will had a small nod. "Was my screaming that loud?"

"No, I have audio canceling ear buds in my ear." She held up two small rounded balls. "You woke me up by moving."

"Always the innovative in getting some sleep except when someone moves." Will chuckled at the comment.

"Was the nightmare about being in space?"

Will shook his head.

"No, it was about spelunking in a cave with a childhood friend of mine, I lost him in it and strange Gollum creatures were chasing after me . . . and he was running ahead of me screaming his head off completely sane. The sanest that I have ever seen him and he was ignoring me like I weren't there. And one of them grabbed me by the leg then yanked me down and they had razor sharp teeth---"

Will stopped himself, leaning against the sink, then smiled.

"That's a lot to tell you."

Clara huffed, then snickered, flicking a curl of dark brown hair from her face.

"Will, I like hearing about nightmares. They are better than horror movies. And so graphic, gory, and unexpected."

"Well then, they each had fins for feet and hands and they kept slapping me, don't ask me how they dragged me down, but I feel their razor sharp teeth is the answer!"

"You. . you. . ." She stared, incredulously, toward Will with a frown. "You were dragged down a cave by _seals_?"

"Why---" Will paused then snickered at the realization and grinned. "Yeah, I was."

Clara laughed then Will found himself joining in as they stood in the bathroom. Clara fell over to the floor rolling on to her side as she silently laughed with tears coming down her cheeks. Will leaned a hand against the counter as he arched over filled with laughter as the humor in the nightmare came to light. Clara was the first to stop laughing as she leaned forward, wrapping her hands around her legs, then wiped her tears off with her arm. 

They had a quiet moment together in the bathroom, just Will and Clara, for thirty minutes as they regained their breath. Finally, after the moment ended, Will held his hand out then Clara took it and was brought up to her feet. 

"I can't go back to sleep." Will admitted.

"What do you do when you can't sleep?"

"I . . I . . . I just lay down in bed."

"With other people, Bill."

"I play chess. You aren't interested in it."

"I am interested in it," Clara insisted. "Just not as a every day kind of run."

"I started it as a kid with Doctor Smith after a nightmare or unable to sleep." Will admitted. "Which wasn't often." he shrugged it off then smiled over the little memories that he had made with the older man. "And it has been a really useful tool since then distracting me from my thoughts."

"When did that start?" Clara was intrigued with a slight tilt of her head.

"The first night that we were stranded together. He was pacing back and forth looking out the window. You should have seen him, so impatient, so worried, and hoping that a rescue ship was heading his way in the first few weeks."

Will let go of Clara's hand then walked out of the bathroom and she followed him out turning the light off with a single press of the button that made the lights turn off behind them listening to him continue on about the game that he started playing on restless night. Will became quiet as he walked toward the living room of the small apartment that had three rooms.

"That was before he lost hope, before he became depressed, before the anxiety attacks got worse."

Will sat down at the table and the light automatically turned on above him.

"We played chess for the first month then after that he withdrew and never really came out of it. It was sometimes a nightly routine for us until I was too tired to continue." Will sighed then gulped. He picked up a red apple, rubbed it against his shirt, then took a bite out of it. "And, some restless nights . . . I played against Penny or Debbie." he chewed then swallowed and smiled at a after thought. "Debbie was really smarter than what we gave her credit for."

"How about we play chess?" Clara offered. 

Will looked toward Clara.

"I don't take you for a patient person, Clara." Will lifted a brow.

Clara smiled down upon him.

"There is a lot that you don't know about me, Will." Clara said.

"It is under the table in the living room." Will directed the younger woman.

Clara went into the living room then took out the chess board and returned back to Will. "Which side do you want? Black or white?"

"White." Will said.

"Then I will take black." Clara slid the drawer out then scattered the pieces on the circular table.

Their hands moved to their pieces then accidentally touched the other. Will withdrew his hand with a blush and Clara laughed in amusement as she found herself blushing. The couple laughed at the table then organized their side of the chess board once they got each of their pieces in order. Then, Will moved a chess piece taking a step forward.


	12. Lost and Found in Space part 1

Ten years passed by like a snap of the fingers. Penny went off, found a nice man, married, and had a little boy by the name Craig and had another one on the way by the end of the decade. The Robinsons watched in their horror as someone went out of their way to make a series based on the adventures that the older man had experienced in his fractured mind and Smith was taken into a freezing tube at a military out post once the popularity of the show soared. Will was angry, so angry, when finding out who did it. The person entirely responsible for Smith's terrible, no good, awful, horrible episode where he saw the fans as mere alien zombies.

It had been roughly ten years since he had been informed late last night of the episode. Ten years since he learned that all of the progress that had been done was tipped over and fallen to a cluttered mess and Don made the regretful but (a decision that the general hated to have made years after) fateful decision to keep him into stasis until the popularity of the show was gone. And Will knocked on the door.

The door opened.

"Hello?"

"I hope you're happy with yourself."

"Who are you?"

"I am Will Robinson."

"Okay, why are you here?"

"To give you what you deserve like a man."

Will slapped the man.

"Ow!"

"Congratulations, you have successfully made a memorable show and a enemy for life."

"It's been seven years since it was cancelled. Are you still hung up about it?"

For the first time in his entire life, Will heard a growl escape from himself.

"You ruined a man's treatment plan ten years ago." Will's fist was trembling with silent rage as he kept control over his anger. "He was my friend. You should have _never_ made that series."

Will hissed then slammed the door and turned away then walked back to the car where a resting young girl with freckles and red hair was in the seat alongside him. His daughter was blissfully unaware of the detour in the trip. Will buckled then drove off as his hands clenched the old fashioned steering wheel. Will drove around in the forest until he came out of the car, paused, then screamed and wept on the 10th anniversary since they returned and lost a friend.

* * *

"Today, we commemorate the Jupiter 2 and her legacy." Don said, holding a wine bottle in one hand. "A legacy that will be continued by a passenger ship that will make it from Earth to Mars. Today, as all the Robinsons are in attendance, as are the reporters, the first colonists of many planets are here, as the colonists of Mars, and the first officers on the lunar tracking stations. We celebrate today that we get to see a craft that will continue the legacy of a decommissioned ship."

Don smiled.

"Now, without further ado."

Don smacked the bottle against the nose cone and water fell to the ground over the sound of loud cheering. Penny's fifteen year old son applauded and Mark clenched her hand as she grinned from ear to ear. The ship had a white underbelly with orange heat titles on the top and it were more of a rocket than it was of a spaceship. The crowd went to the long row of tables and proceeded to gather food after the important action was taken except for Craig.

Craig looked up the ship standing by the side of Will, May, and Robot. Robot was silent as his sensors processed the unique space craft. Will looked down toward the young boy then put a hand on the side of his shoulder.

"Look like you are solidly interested in flying that craft."

"I am going to fly that ship when I turn twenty."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Craig. That is a longs way away."

"Not really, dad is fast tracking me to the space academy."

"Really?"

"I am a genius, just like you."

"Being a genius isn't what it is all cracked up to be."

"Are you a genius?"

"Well no. I am smart."

"Dad says I inherited my smartness from mom."

The young boy had dark brown hair that was in the process of turning black and layered by the looks of it. Will could see much of John's features that were passed down to his grandson with pieces of Penny and her partner, Mark, on the young man. The young man grinned, broadly, then shifted his attention toward the craft and folded his arm.

"Who set up the space academy?" Will quizzed the younger boy.

"General Don West-Robinson after the return of the Jupiter 2." Craig said.

"Being the commander of the ship comes with certain responsibilities and being quick on your feet." Will reminded the young boy.

"And having everyone pull their weight to getting out of the sticky mess." May added. 

"And _that_." Will laughed.

May grinned then ran after the food table.

"I have heard all the stories, uncle Will." Craig held his hand up. "You were set off course by additional weight to a reluctant stowaway. That won't happen here."

"Well, if space weather were to happen, do you think you could rise up to the occasion with the passengers in the ship?"

Craig nodded, somberly.

"I can." Craig said, defiantly.

Will laughed.

"I believe you, Craig." Will said. "I see you going many places. Many places."

"How many places have you been in space?" Craig asked, curiously.

"Hundreds of planets." Will looked up toward the sky with his arms folded seeing planets that weren't there and a canvas that he could only see in his mind. He looked back down toward the young Robinson. "But you will probably go to a handful of them as the engines improve."

Will walked away.

"I will find my way, I will go the distance. . ."

Craig looked up toward the ship as he started to sing as awe rested in his eyes toward the spacecraft that was quite massive to him. He was small to the ship and insignificant with a future ahead of him that Craig was certain lead to harnessing the ship to his will power.

"I will be there someday if I can be strong." The song was so old and well known but comforting for the boy with eyes of intent for the ship. He saw himself going many places through space helping people get from place to place with careful planning, careful watch, and hard work. "I know every mile will be worth my while. I will go almost anywhere to feel like I belong. . ."

He stopped singing.

"Wait for me and stay in one piece, will you, Jupiter 2?" Craig asked.

Craig turned away then joined the family at the table.

* * *

A knocking came from Morrison's door. Morrison got himself dressed then strolled toward the house turning the light on into the corridor lighting his path ahead of him. He opened the door then his eyes flashed open and he stepped back spotting the silver machine standing in front of his doorstep. Morrison nearly shrieked then put a hand against his chest as he leaned against the door frame. After a few moments of regaining his composure, he straightened up and put his hands into his pockets.

"Robot, return to the base." Morrison ordered. "Whatever emergency is going on, don't come to me. Go call your friend General West."

"General Morrison," Robot began. "This is not a emergency."

"I am retired and I can't do what tiny favor that you want about getting a new shell." Morrison said. "I have used all my favors just to get you that one. So goodnight---"

Robot extended a silver claw halting the door being closed.

"I have a processed a idea." Robot replied. "I require your help in this mission. It is for the Robinsons."

Morrison sighed.

"What do you need?" Morrison was exasperated.

"To perform the mission that Professor Robinson had asked of you nearly twenty years ago."

Morrison blinked, staring at the silver tin plated machine standing across from him, as the machine remained in front of the doorway.

"Will you go away if I do this?" Morrison asked.

"Affirmative."

Morrison sighed.

"I will see what I can do."

Robot bobbed his helm up.

"You _must_ do it." Robot emphasized. "It can be done properly with no interruption since Lost in Space: The Original Series was broadcasted."

"There are going to be leaks, whistleblowers---"

"Then I will silence them." Robot replied.

"For however long it takes for him to get back on his feet?" Morrison's brows furrowed together.

"Affirmative." Robot replied, gravely.

"Robot, are you certain?" Morrison asked. "Getting your claws dirty just to make the Robinsons happy for one hour?"

"My first and foremost duty is to the well being of the Robinsons." Robot replied.

"But they're on MARS!" Morrison cried.

There was silence between them.

"Distance does not matter at this moment." Robot replied. "They are more than capable of coming back to Earth in the future."

"Alright, alright." Morrison shook his hands. "I will do it."

Robot's arms went inside his chassis then he wheeled away from the doorway and began to make his journey back to the military facility as Morrison looked on dumbfounded by the strange visitor.

"Harold, what was that?" a lone voice from within the house sounding tired.

Morrison closed the door.

"Just a old friend from work, Barbara." Morrison replied.

Morrison turned away from the door then walked on.

* * *

"Commander Robinson, this is your co-pilot."

Those were words that Don never thought could come from him and Craig was twenty. It was only yesterday that Craig had approached him and eagerly but excitedly told him of what he intended to do in the future. A moment that Don found the most delightful since arriving to Earth. Craig's resemblance to his grandfather showed in ways that couldn't be told but felt. He was a full seventeen years younger than when the professor first went out into space.

"How do I turn it on?" Craig asked, looking toward Don.

Don turned looked toward the machine then back toward Craig.

"By walking toward it." Don said.

"Alright, General." Craig said.

Craig looked at the purple machine that had arms sucked into it's side as he stared at it with his brows raised then lowered and smiled. He was a young man ready to face the future of his time in space. Ready to pull punches should he be provoked for numerous reasons. Craig approached the machine with his hands linked behind his back. The completely orange helm bobbed up then the arms slunk out and the hooks clasped in the middle of the machine's lap.

"Greetings, I am Series 1A-1998 robot."

"Hello, I am the commander of the Jupiter 2." Craig held his hand out. "I am Craig Robinson."

"I am happy to meet you."

Craig kept his hand held out.

"Then shake my hand."

The new robot was different than the one that attended the Jupiter 2 anniversaries and was friends with his uncle.

"Is that required?"

Craig stared at the machine before replying.

"It is in my book, Robon." Craig said.

"My designation is not Robon."

"It is your nickname," Craig said. "A gift from me to you. You don't have to keep it after I am assigned to a different rocket and our time together is over."

Robon's helm twirled then his claw clenched onto Craig's fingers.

"My sensors tell me that you are a very unique and memorable person." Robon said.

Craig grinned and Don's hologram vanished from behind the young Robinson with a smile.

* * *

Will and Clara went hiking the mountains of Mars side by side using long pipes as their guides onward as they made their way for the place that was designated for the studio on Mars. Clara laughed as she walked on ahead of him then slipped down a slope. She was skiing before Will's eyes swinging from left to right. Will didn't think much of his old friend's fate as he used to with his mind focused on the path that was ahead of him knocking aside pebbles.

Will picked up a rock then threw it into the distance and watched it fly against pipe against pipe until it landed with a clatter in a ditch. Will followed after May as his twenty year old daughter and five year old little brother were in the distance waiting by the door to the studio dome waving them off jumping up and down in the white and black spacesuit. They were waving their arms quite excited, their laughter echoing over the comn, happily.

Will paused staring at the spacesuit as he flashed back to what it had been only decades ago; a silver spacesuit with a white helmet that had a small window. He smiled at the memory of watching his sisters jumping up down in suits cheering for making it over a obstacle on chasing after Debbie the Bloop.

Clara waited for Will at the bottom of the hill.

Will smiled, and laughed, skiing down the hill then came to a halt taking Clara's hands.

"Are you ready for the last scene?" Clara asked.

"More than ever." Will nodded with a confident smile.

"That last line," Clara said. "You once told me he said that a lot."

"It doesn't make my heart ache as it used to." Will assured her with a squeeze of his hand. "Zachary, Rose, are you ready to meet the cast of season 2?"

The children squealed and Will smiled.

* * *

The autonomous electrical vehicle came to a pause at the space port. The door slid up into the air to the square yet bus-like dark blue vehicle. A aged hand grasped on to the support beams on to the side of the doorway then the owner of it stepped out of the car and smiled admiring the view. His aged blue eyes shifted toward the tall spacecraft then a look of uncertainty replaced the smile.

He was afraid and immobilized where he stood. The back door of the car was opened then the sound of beeping drew his attention off. Smith took the fidget spinner out of his pocket then spun it between his fingers then the anxiety returned from where it came. He closed his hand then slipped it back into his pocket.

Smith went over to the trunk then took out his two suitcases that were heavily packed. The elderly man wheeled his way toward the elevator. He pressed a button once inside, facing the rocketship, then the elevator whizzed up quickly to the upper part of the ship. The elevator paused once reaching the upper level then he walked on toward the exit of the tunnel heading for the ship with his luggage towed behind him. The doors automatically opened before his eyes then he went through entering the rocketship and was greeted by a holographic stewardess.

"Please put your belongings in the lower head compartment alongside you."

Smith looked aside spotting a large box with green text reading 'empty'.

"Thank you, dear." Smith thanked.

Smith opened the compartment then slid his belongings in and kicked them with his boots, grunting and grumbling, chastising the belongings. With one final kick, the luggage fell into the back then Smith sighed and smoothed out his uniform. He turned toward the stewardess who had her arms folded looking at him with a frown. 

"Weight of belongings is over the recommended limit." She looked at him, skeptically. "Is this vital?"

Smith shifted his attention toward the hologram.

"My dear, this is full of equipment that is beneficiary to my very most prized health." Smith gestured toward the luggage. "I can't go without know I have all the necessities and pieces of civilization to keep me grounded. Last time; it was awful."

The hologram smiled.

"Will this thwart the flight?" Smith asked, concerned.

"No, sir." the holographic stewardess shook her head. "It is not recommended for a entirely different reason. It is generally recommended for frank purposes."

"And that is, my dear?" His brows briefly rose.

"The trip is two hours long per the approved warp drive that the Jupiter 2's exploits created. Two hours of resting and daydreaming are long enough to forget that you have two suitcases."

"How often did this happen?"

"Ninety-four point four percent with tourists. Historically, colonists were only allowed one large luggage."

Smith nodded with a hum then closed the compartment then spotted the elevator. 

"Have a nice flight, Doctor Smith." The stwardess vanished in a blue light.

Smith boarded the elevator then pressed the up button repeatedly until he were at the bridge. Craig stood at the bridge leaning against the console going over the system check with the machine. Smith went over to the lone seat across from the young woman and child then buckled himself up.

"Engine status?"

"Operational,"

"Internal defense system,"

"Prepared."

"Fuel?"

"We are equipped with enough for departing the planet."

"Great! Now," Craig looked up. "Dina Carmichael."

"Here." Dina turned away from the window then sat down into her seat.

"Link Robinson." Craig said.

"Here, big brother!" Link announced then went to his chair.

"Doctor Zachary Smith." Craig said.

"Never fear, Smith is here." Smith said.

"Robon." Craig said looking upon Robon with a smile.

"I stand beside you, Commander." Robon replied.

"Alright, time to get ready for lift off." Craig said then sat down into the captain's chair and Robon manned his station beside the commander. "Soon as the air is clear of other airline rockets then we will be going."

"Only a surprise." Smith reminded himself as he tapped on the arm rest of the chair. "Only a surprise pop up."

In truth, Smith was terrified of coming back to the Robinsons. There were things that he remembered the way that he had seen them instead of their way. Some parts of the illness, as unique as it was and protective as it was leaving him encased in spice, comfort, and certain protective characteristic that eased the length of being the only people on planets. He was in a dark blue jumpsuit that had a v-neck lacking a color outlining it and a orange dickie that matched the standard orange flight boots.

It was all different from the uniform that he was most familiar to but one that he could quickly adjust to for so little time in it. Wearing it made his stomach full of disgust of something so horrible. He was relieved to be only wearing it for a limited time. It gave him the shudders just to be wearing a uniform that was connected to a rough patch in his life full of despair, uncertainty, sadness, anxiety, stress, and depression. It was part of transport and he was doing it for the machine that had helped him start the path to being well again. He owed the machine that he had sabotaged everything.

He was trembling as he buckled himself in then slipped out the pocket his fidget spinner.

"Terrified of a little old trip, Doctor Smith?" Link asked.

Smith glared toward the green eyed boy.

"So would you if you have been in my position, my boy."

Link put his hands in his lap and laughed.

"You're a funny man." Link looked on in bewilderment but a tinge of amusement. "The one thing you hate and you want to go back there?"

"It's a two way trip." Smith waved his finger back and forth. "To Mars then back to Earth."

"What are you attending?" Liink asked.

"A party."

"I am going to a party, too." Link smirked. "But it's for filming."

"You mean a wrap party."

"That's exactly what I mean."

"Are you. . . Hmh, no, must be a coincidence."

"That my last name is Robinson?"

"That is the point."

"My mom is Doctor Penelope Robinson and my dad is a violinist. Not entirely a coincidence."

"Oh, did she now?"

"Yeah!" Link nodded, excitedly. "She is the head of the space institute of xenobiology."

"Everyone ready for the flight?" Craig asked.

"No." Smith said.

"We are." Dina, Link, and Robon replied.

"Doctor Smith?" Dina asked. "If you're not ready then why did you come?"

"I am a man of my word." Smith said. "A man who is afraid of history repeating itself."

"Now, doctor, that won't be the case." Craig turned toward Smith with a smile that reeked of the professor. "We have space treaties with every alien species imaginable and this isn't a government transport."

"It's a civilian transport." Dina continued on as Smith turned his attention on to the blonde who's hair was in a pony tail and he listened attentively. "Privately owned by the very company that pioneered it back in the late 2020's. The company started small then got bigger over time from boosters to reuseable rockets. They have come a long way from Merlin engines and Raptor engines to the engines that we use to this day. Pretty remarkable how far they have come in the last fifty years."

Smith lifted a brow.

"What is the name of the company?"

"SpaceX."

"That must have been a thrilling space venture for the person behind the program."

"We have documentary videos of the mk's and sn's exploding and the stacking video of each version." Dina said.

"I will have a watch with them when I am on the ground safe and sound, madame." Smith replied.

"You're Doctor Smith, are you?" Craig asked, lifting a brow, turning toward Smith. "That Doctor Smith?"

"I am a very unique individual." Smith replied. "Whatever the rumors say are lies. I did not go to Asgard and give therapy to a Norse God. Faarce!"

"So you are the same doctor who had a nervous breakdown out there then was trapped in a coma?" Craig asked.

Smith raised his head up from the spinner with his eyes flashed open.

"What?" Smith asked. "Is that what really happened? How in the Lord's name did I wind up in a coma?"

Craig winced.

"Forget I said that that."

"No, I cannot! There are so many things I still do not know that happened in my broken state of mind with the Robinsons." Then Smith plead. "Please, my dear sir, tell me."

"Uncle Will tried to take you out of your misery." Craig said, turning his attention back on to the screen. "He gets really quiet every time Joshua mentions it."

Smith fell quiet as he put the fidget spinner in his lap processing the information. The ship launched into the sky with a powerful roar by a large stack behind it sending it into the orbit of Earth as the passengers cheered, except for Smith who screamed, against the g-force of the departure pressing them against their seats. The ship came into the atmosphere of the planet where it hung there. The lower half separated then returned down to the planet.

Craig hummed to himself as Robon took over the craft setting in the course to the red planet. Smith and the passengers relaxed in their chairs but Smith's grip on the arm rest remained icy cold and iron clasped. He clenched on to his chest in a moment of terror. Their racing heart beats began to return to their normal rhythm as the hours peeled by waiting in the orbit of the planet. Smith calmed then slipped away his fidget spinner. 

Another ship joined then clasped at the end of the craft. Fuel was injected into the ship in the fleeting moments as Smith's grip loosened on the arm rest then spun the fidget spinner between his fingers focusing his attention on to it as the terror slipped away. Then the fuel ship departed and returned to the lower atmosphere of the planet where it vanished in a red haze heading down for the space port. The members of the crew admired the view of space while Smith continued to spin the spinner over and over, repeatedly, growing a amused smile of his own chasing away the fears that were plaguing him.

"You know, the first colonists on Mars used to live underground until they could build thick protective domes and glass like our great ancestors did." Link said. 

"Barbarians." Smith said. "Hard to believe people agreed to come to Mars and go straight underground instead of admiring the dreadful, unappealing, and boring red landscape." Link looked toward the older man and frowned. "How could they survive without monthly shipments of water?"

"Mars has water underneath its sand on the polar ice caps that has only recently been becoming bodies of water with help from a protective dome over it, Doctor Smith." Dina said as she stared out the window alongside her quite excited. "Soon enough if the builders keep up their progress, they will have the entire planet coated in one series of interconnected domes!"

"I feel old." Smith complained.

"So do I." Dina said. "I remember a time when we were just starting to build the domes with drones using the dirt as the building blocks." Smith's brows rose in alarm and surprise then lowered.

"Like clay?" Smith asked.

"Essentially, they did." Dina said. "The first settlers buildings were towers, Doctor Smith."

"That is quite fascinating development." Smith said. "How come they didn't reuse the steel as buildings?"

"The first dome was made of the first fleet of starships after the colonists moved into their new homes." Dina replied as she held up a transparent thin tablet with a glowing screen reading 'Martian colonizing history'. "Even part of the historical tourist sites to this day. No one uses them anymore once enough domes were build but we keep it for show of how far we have come.

"Are you going to a party as well, dear Dina?"

"I am going to the Mars Space Station and relieve a officer of their shift." Was the reply.

"Must be one fortunate officer to have a ticket back to Earth." Smith said.

"Boy, they are very Earth sick so they are being held in a freezing tube because they have been stir crazy." Dina explained as Smith began to smile in sympathy with her colleague's problem.

"How I feel for them, I feel for that poor tormented soul." Smith shook his head. "Being away from their motherland for so long.

"Warning, warning, meteor storm oncoming!" Robon announced.

"Danger? DAANNNGEERR?" Smith screeched. "Oh no, not this again!"

"Cool it, Doctor Smith." Link said as Robon reported the space weather outside of the ship and the barrier shielded the window only for the black screen with a view of the ship being approached by tiny dots. "Craig is better than the meteor storms. Been through numerous of them in his training exercises. He will get us out of it very quickly!"

"I should never have came on this trip with my delicate health!"

"Rate of separation, Robon?"

"Negative." Robon relied. "Meteorites are traveling one eighth times our speed."

"Look!" Dina cried. "We are going deeper into the storm!"

"It shall never recover from this incident for shame!" Smith whined. "I just got back on my feet from the last time I went into space---reluctantly!"

"Everyone, hold on to your seat belts!" Craig announced.

"Holding on, big brother!" Link replied.

"So am I!" Dina replied.

"Robot told me that nothing was going to go wrong this time!" Smith wailed as he shielded himself. "Oh dear, oh woe is me, woe is me!"

"We're being bombarded by meteors!" Craig announced.

"Our astrogator is damaged." Robon reported.

"It reads 100,000 miles per second." Craig reported then his eyes widened as he attempted to wrestle control over from the storm.

The ship spun through the meteor storm, tossing and twirling, over the frightened screams of the passengers.

Then it vanished.

* * *

_"Oh, the pain. The pain."_

There was a party, a clear twenty years, held on the anniversary since the return of the Robinsons back to their native solar system. They were on Mars celebrating the wrapping of season 2 of the reboot of the television series that had been aired on a streaming platform. A party by any other way was a moment to celebrate with the large cast of characters, actresses, actors, and the large machine that showed how much humanity had came in the last twenty years since their return.

Robot found it strange that he could detect the older man's voice from Will. It was a fleeting but small and tiny moment that ended. The strange but tall machine strolled away then sat down into a highly modified chair and was shined by several workers cleaning the prototype's model. It was strange enough that it was completely humanoid in build compared to his robotic model. More humanoid than the previous build that was the works of what humans would call him coming from the depths of hell and look extremely freaky.

Robot was in a updated version of his initial model that didn't feel to different from himself. He turned toward the doorway anticipating of Craig Robinson and Link Robinson, Penny's children, coming in with Smith between them as a surprise guest. It was getting concerning as the time that they were scheduled to come was passing by. The cast were drinking, chatting, and eating, even laughing. Robot twirled toward the direction of the doorway quite worried. What was keeping them?

"Robot, why aren't you interacting with the 3C-2018 Robot?" Don asked as he joined the machine's side.

"I am not interested, General West." Robot replied.

"You and he have gotten along so well!" Don exclaimed.

"I am a model that requires eliminating memory from my tapes every thirty days." Robot said.

"Not anymore with the improved memory track." Don smirked, grinning from ear to ear, brightly "You have years worth of memories," he stretched his arms out with a grin. "many of them restored from your memory tapes."

"I am not in the position to talk." Robot said.

"What has you gotten so upset?" Don asked.

"I have invited surprise guests for this party." Robot said.

Don's head bobbed up in alarm then so did his brows.

"Are they people that we know?" Don asked.

"I cannot tell." Robot replied, factly as Don grinned. "That is what makes it a surprise."

"I look forward to meeting your friends, Robot." Then the major sipped from the cup.

"Robot, there's a message for you from Space Command." came a messenger.

"Deliver it." Robot said.

"It is about the Jupiter 2---"

"Hey, Penny, your son is on the way!" Don called.

Penny's head turned alongside her partner and waved at the General.

"Continue." Robot requested.

"The Rocketship, the Jupiter 2, has vanished in transit in a artificial made space warp."

"NooOOOooooo!" Robot screamed.

All the noise in the room became quiet.

"Robot, what is wrong?" Will asked, as he approached and Don turned toward Robot. 

"It was . . it. . it. . it. . . It was supposed . . . He was supposed. . . he. . he was. . ." Robot was trembling before their eyes as he started to generate sounds of sniffling and sobbing. "He was supposed to be here."

"Robot . . ." Will asked. "who was Craig bringing over to Mars?"

"Doctor Smith, Link Robinson, and Craig himself." Robot said. "Doctor Smith had just fully recovered from his nervous breakdown!" His claws were crackling with electricity. "He had just recovered!"

Robot turned away then wheeled on from the Robinsons wheeling for the back rooms as the Robinsons chased after him. Robot slammed the door shut and proceeded to weep as John was knocking on the door. Will was stunned at the sound of human noise coming from the machine that he had only known for twenty years as a machine with more than a month's worth of memories and not once had he heard Robot make a sound like that. 

Will stepped back as people's phones started ringing and gasps were filling the air.

Just like that, a very sane and mentally healthy Smith was far away from him.

Will was starting to wonder if Doctor Smith was cursed by a witch or wizard to deserve being thwarted.

* * *

A full day later, there were vigils held around Earth and lanterns released from the solar system int he hope that one day the Jupiter 2 would find its way back with the LE lanterns that had a battery life of a hundred years. Will looked on from the bridge of the recommissioned Jupiter 2 alongside his family.

Search teams were dispatched from well known parts of the galaxy.

All searching for the lost ship that had vanished without a word unlike the saucer.

Prayers were sent out for the lost ship to come home.

* * *

Penny and her husband Mark wept for months after the sudden disappearance of their children.

The act to bring some light into the Robinsons lives left Robot retreating into the colonization program for a time and the Robinsons didn't see their former protector for months at a time. And Will didn't know what to feel knowing that someone who he had once got out of trouble was back in trouble once more. He wasn't quite sure what to feel but his heart ached the most for Robot. May and Joshua went on a mission to search for them on a rescue ship and they hadn't seen them since searching for signs of their family that were left behind.

A part of Robot left when the announcement was made and all the development that had made him into a person over the last twenty years were almost seemingly deleted. He became the machine that he was before, numb to other people's feelings, doing as he were told, instead of going behind ones back when he wasn't given any order to in order to do something that turned out beneficiary as it had turned out in his personal treats for the Robinsons at restaurants decorating the planet.

Most of all; Will grieved for what piece of Robot that had left instead of his friend.

His friend was too old and fragile to survive.

Will had faith in Penny's children coming back alive.


	13. Lost and Found in Space part 2

"Can he hear us?" Don asked.

The communications officer looked toward Don.

"Sir, the line is old and hasn't been updated since the 2020's---"

"Can he hear us?" Don faced the communications officer.

The communications officer stared back at Don, eyes wide open, appearing caught then gulped.

"No, sir."

"Then clear the lines." Don said. "Jam them except for my son's. I don't care how this goes against their freedom of speech; this is important."

"Wait a few minutes, sir."

Don waited as the lines were blocked one by one on the black thin screen until there was only one left. The system reverted back to a old format of communications with aged modules, colorful buttons that looked fuzzy, and dancing gifs. Don eyed at the line then watched as the officer manipulated the equipment to allow access.

"We are through---"

"Joshua, May, what are you doing?" Don asked, lowering down to the microphone then the communication's officer made a few adjustments and the audio was fixed.

"I am attempting to recreate the circumstance that lead to the disappearance of the Jupiter 2." Joshua said.

"It was my idea," May perked up from over the line. "Over."

"Children, stop this right now." Don said. "You are going to get your ship destroyed with the meteors!"

"But dad!" Joshua cried.

"I am not doing that." May replied.

"It has been two years, they could be dead." Don said in a rush of words. "Turn the ship around."

"Earth gave up on your ship." Joshua's voice became bitter and angry at the reply from his father as static filled the line. "I am not about to give up on the Jupiter 2."

"And neither am I." May said.

Don slammed his fist on the table.

"Damn it, kids, they don't have laser pistols!" Don replied. "They were equipped with nothing except for The Bug, Robon, and all the parts of home for long term flights but not the most important part of all; training." He winced at what had to be said next but it had to be delivered. "We're giving up because there isn't hope in them. We had hope on our side because we were trained for this kind of existence."

"Smith, Link, Dina, and Craig _weren't_. Now, we have changed it to that of being two human pilots armed with lots of laser pistols trained for this kind of abnormality! We can only do better to make sure the next people who get lost like them next time are prepared for it to happen!"

Silence lingered as the seconds passed and Don waited to see if the reply sunk into his son of how doomed the crew were. Images of their untimely fate crossed Don's mind. Smith fleeing into the open after a nervous breakdown, Craig finding out that the stress of living on a barren planet wasn't cut out for him and becoming insane and accidentally killing Dina then going on to to finish what he started but being stopped by Robon, and Link growing old desperately trying to come home with Robon by his side dragging along a mentally ill elderly man.

"I am going to bring Link home, dad!" Joshua replied over the line, insisted, with defiance in his voice. "I am not about to lose hope in what I can help. I helped bring species into treaties with Earth. I can't see why not with the Jupiter 2."

"You will be two years behind them, Joshua!" Don replied.

"I don't care about that," Joshua said.

"You will be behind them!" Don replied with the grim reality that he was going into. "You will always be two years behind them or a year if they modify the engine to a power pod. And you will not have a chance in hell in reaching them."

"I will make sure that he is safe and sound." Robot's voice came over the line.

The line went dead over the comn.

"Joshua! Robot! May! Joshua!" Don looked up toward the view of the Earth and the recreated meteor storm. "No!"

In a matter of silence from space, the silver and old rocket prototype vanished before the sensors and the eyes of those who were watching at Space Command. Don became silenced seeing where the craft had once been being gone before his eyes. He lowered his head with a sigh then turned away from the screen as silence was the only thing that he heard. Don was powerless to the events around him for the first time in a long time.

First, he lost a colonel's sanity. Second, he got lost. Third, he lost his son. Forth, the colonel was whisked away. And fifth, a ship named after the Jupiter 2 was taken away. Last of all, Don lost his son for what had to be the last time. He felt like a major all over again as he went to the office then his hand -- covered in long healed scars from alien encounters-- rolled up into a fist.

Don punched a hole in the wall.

Then he covered it up with a portrait and left the office to return home to personally inform Judy of what had happened.

* * *

Dina's shriek alarmed the men from the lower decks of the ship in their narrow and quite thin cabins. They went up the deck of the ship and stared at a ship that was coming down in the distance. Smith hid behind Robon as he trembled and Craig made a bolt for the lower decks with a makeshift weapon that had been made from traveling among galactic travelers and mingling with them.

He came down the ship then made a run for it as his heart raced fleeing for the silver rocket as Smith and Dina stared on hoping against chance. They spotted the garage bay opened then Craig's figure lunge then crash between two figures. The figures were set still on the ground with their arms wrapped the other. Dina relaxed as Smith looked on.

"What? Friends? Not enemies?"

"Turns out that we are wrong."

"Indeed!" Smith squeezed the ball in his hand. "And we're still hopelessly lost."

"But we're not alone." Dina pointed out turning toward Smith. "That looks like a old model so, this has to be unofficial business."

"They have given up on us." Smith's voice cracked as he started to tremble and his voice uneven. "They've given up on us just like you have, dear Dina."

"I don't like being right." Dina's voice fell small.

Smith put a hand on Dina's shoulder then gave it a squeeze.

"Neither do I." Smith admitted, his features softening, in pity. "But, he hasn't given up on us." he gestured over his shoulder. "With Robinson determination and resilience, we may be on the way to Earth!"

Dina lifted a brow at the hopeful older man.

"Why are you so optimistic about them? You hardly knew the Robinsons way," she was quite curious in his faith in them. "You only knew their versions in your head."

"That I did." Smith agreed with a small nod.

"Why?"

"I wouldn't be truly alive to face the consequences of my alive if William had given up on me." Smith tapped on the side of his temple with a small smile.

"Link told you how it played out." Dina said.

"Indeed!" Smith grinned as he squeezed his stress ball.

"Your stress ball hasn't popped." Dina said as she stared at the device. "I am impressed."

Smith baaed, loudly, with a shake of his head walking off from Dina toward the nearest seat.

"Stress balls are hardly the types to be popped, my dear Dina." Smith took out a fidget spinner. "Take it."

"Doctor Smith, I can't---"

"Oh, you can and you will." Smith put the fidget spinner into her hand. "Robon and I have made several replacements." Smith closed her fingers around the fidget spinner. "I am well taken care of. Good night."

Smith walked away with a smile and headed down the deck to the crew quarters.

"We'll be home soon enough, Link!" Dina heard the elderly man's announcement.

* * *

"Space Command to the Robinson-West residence, Space Command to the Robinson-West residence!"

It was three months later when the call was made to his place of residence in the middle of the night and the lights flickered on in the master bedroom.

"Admiral West-Robinson here," It was still strange after the change of rank to acknowledge himself as a admiral. "What is the emergency?"

"We have a fleet of ships headed this way!"

Don bolted up from bed.

"Are they from Earth?" Don asked.

"Negative, sir."

"On my way." Don said.

Judy was wide eyed staring at the admiral's direction.

"Don, what is going on?" Judy asked.

"I don't know." Don said. "I think the Jupiter 2 is headed this way with Joshua's help."

Judy looked at Don, skeptically.

"With a fleet?" Judy asked.

"Or someone that the Jupiter 2 left infuriated." Don said. "Make a call to Penny."

Don made a rush to the closet then slipped on his admiral uniform and made a bee-line out of the house. Judy was making the call to Penny waiting patiently for the phone call to be answered. She watched as Don went into the autonomous ev car then was towed away as though it were a train car fleeing into the darkness of the dome on night hours.

Don thought to himself; _how did Joshua and May catch up with them so quickly?_

* * *

"We are almost there!" Craig announced.

"Woohooo!" The group cheered.

"Commander, we still have the Navia behind us!" Robon announced and certain tension was in the air.

"Robon, how much weight do we need to shed in order to delay them?" Craig asked.

"One hundred pounds." Robon announced.

"That is all our luggage!" Smith exclaimed.

"And equipment!" Link added.

"Equipment that we don't need anymore." Craig said. "Get the weight out. Stat! Dina, get it done."

Dina nodded then quickly got into her suit and made her way to the lower half of the ship as Smith and Link were looking out their windows searching for their the army that was chasing after them. Smith slipped out a gold material coated in brown dirt then toward the group and rubbed away the dirt with his palm revealing a glittering diamond and appeared to be quiet guilty.

"Does this find have anything to do with these people coming after us, Commander?"

Craig looked toward Smith then frowned.

"No, it has to do with how you helped their enemy and made them lose. That was just a gift." Craig said. "Unlike your other keepsakes that had to be returned, that is a keeper."

"It feels like it is my fault." Smith whined.

"Would you feel better if I threw it away?"

"Please, please do!"

Smith tossed the material to Craig who caught it with one hand then chucked it into the gray slot and closed it. The material flew out of the ship as a aged and highly modified silver rocket flew around the ship with laser guns and defense grid systems fired back at the large crafts. Robot was on the bridge tending to the console while Joshua was on the lower decks in the lower laser firing port spinning around returning fire sporting a grin.

The Jupiter 2 was battered and damaged contrasting how she had first flown into space with burns that decorated her lower half. Her figure was battered by strikes from the fighters and the rocket returned fire. Robon was in the upper laser firing port returning fire of the silver rocket aiding in the defense of the Jupiter 2. May was tending to another defense system aboard the rocket that had been severely modified for the potential battle firing back at the Navia.

Smith looked on in terror toward the red and white planet that was coming closer with each passing moment. The ship trembled and the passengers clasped on to their seat belts as the members screamed in terror and fright with Smith being the loudest of them all. Suitcases exited from the back of the Jupiter 2 then the reusable rocket gained steam.

"We're doomed! Doomed!" Smith cried. "We are going to die before we ever step foot on Mars!"

"Cool your horses, Doctor Smith." Link replied. "We are heading in the territory of civilization!"

"Look!" Craig announced. "We got company!"

"Home!" Link cried. "I can't wait to see mom and dad again!"

Small crafts flew out of the air space of Mars meeting up with the Jupiter 2.

"Is this the Jupiter 2, over?" Came Don's voice over the line.

"Hey, old man!" Craig said over the cheering coming from behind him. "This is the Jupiter 2. I am the youngest man to graduate the Space Academy. Over."

" _Used_ to be, over." Don said with a loud laugh that rattled Craig at first. "A seventeen year old graduated after you."

"Hey, I knew that kid!" Craig said. "Over."

"Get to the landing base, kiddo. Over." Don said. "We're taking over from here."

"Good to hear you again, Admiral." Craig said. "Over."

"You, too." Don said. "You always have a way of surprising us."

"Jupiter 2 out."

"Roger."

* * *

Will was laid in bed fast asleep when a loud beep came from his phone loudly wailed bouncing up and down against the counter. He smacked his hand against the console then grasped on to it and slid his finger on to it. He slid the phone along his ear.

"Yeah, this is Will."

"WILL, THEY'RE ON THE WAY!" It was Penny's scream over the line.

"Who is, Penny?" Will asked, tiredly.

"The Jupiter 2."

"Is this another hoax?"

"No, it isn't. Don is out there! Turn on the news!"

Will sighed, exasperated then got up from bed. This was the sixth call that month almost three years after the Jupiter 2 had vanished. He trudged down the corridor heading in the direction of the kitchen for some artificial water. He took out a glass of water then took out a couple ice cubes and put them into the water. He set it on the oven as light was illuminating from across him in the living room.

"Where did you get this intelligence from?"

"Judy called me."

"Did you check the anti-voice generator?"

"I checked the connection. It's from Judy."

"Remember that one time where it wasn't really from her and she were hacked?"

"But this time it isn't a prank."

Will was finding it quite skeptical as he turned away from the kitchen.

"We have been through this fifty-three times, Penny."

"This time it is different."

"How do you know it's different?" Will came to the living room. "Zachary, why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep." Then Zachary shifted toward Will. "Pa, what is a space battle?"

Will had the phone pressed against his chest as he blinked over the unexpected comment.

"It's a battle held in space."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"There is a battle going on outside of Mars." Zachary pointed toward the screen.

Will's eyes glanced toward the television set spotting a news reporter in a space suit on a mountain as lights were flickering back and forth on the dark canvas above the planet. A replayed video appeared on the screen displaying the craft swaying from side to side with shields weakly standing up keeping it intact. Will dropped the phone with a clatter then fainted. Zachary calmly went out then tipped the phone upside up.

"Hey, aunt Pennie." Zachary said. "Pa is sleeping on the floor."

"I am going to the landing site as soon as they figure it out." Penny said. "Tell Will I will be there waiting. And tell Will it's okay," Penny had a laugh. "I wouldn't have believed it either if it was coming from Will himself."

"Okay." Zachary said.

"See you tomorrow." Penny said. "There's probably some streaming exec figuring they are going reboot Lost in Space after tonight."

The phone returned to its transparent specter and Zachary put it down.

* * *

Two hours after the space battle began, the battle ended with causalities on both sides with the Jupiter 2 in transit but the Mars defense force returned with triumph and glee that echoed from dome to dome that were recorded from the news stations. The Jupiter 2 was escorted to a landing pad to a underground landing section instead of above by two envoys and the aged rocket came down coming to a landing with dents decorating the frame.

The Robinsons were gathered at the landing site as one large crowd featuring John, Maureen, Penny, Mark, Don, Judy, some of Don's family were there including what was left of John's siblings and their grandchildren waiting for the ship to land. They were hidden behind a protective barrier that shielded them from the smoke erupting from below as it came to the underground tunnel. The barrier came over the entrance way as the well damaged and aged ship finally landed.

The door to the lower exit way of the ship opened and a set of stairs illuminated from below the edge and landed down the ground. The barrier remained in place as it was dark inside of the lower bay then the bridge lights flickered off. The lower garage bay lights turned turned on then then four figures came out of it. The tallest was in the lead with a hand on the holster of the blazer that was set alongside his hip -- more wary, less accepting that everything was fine, staring at what was ahead --- with everyone remaining behind the taller man as though he were their leader.

They came down the ramp then were joined by Robon, Robot, May, and Joshua all converged into Craig's group. Craig was the one who lead the group on toward the doorway of the landing room. Once they were further enough from the ship and the light went out in the hangar bay, the barrier separating the large family from the other group fell down then Link was the first of them to run on from the group toward the waiting arms of Mark and Penny. 

"Mom! DAD!"

Link was captured by the couple in a big hug.

"Link, there is my boy." Mark said.

"You're grown." Penny said between tears.

"I missed you." Link admitted.

Dina went through the doorway and into the waiting arms of medics then collapsed before the nurses out of exhaustion. Craig, Joshua, and May were greeted by the large extended family that crashed upon them in a large group hug and immobilized them from where they stood except for Smith who was sighing in relief that he wasn't quite trapped and walked around them, silently, with two machines behind him.

"Where do you think you are going, Doctor Smith?"

Smith jumped back with a startle and shifted toward the source of the voice.

"Oh, it is just you, William." Smith relaxed with a sigh.

"You can hear me." Will stared in awe on the verge of tears staring at Smith.

"Why should I not?" Smith's brows furrowed with a tilt of his head. "You are right in front of me."

Will smiled then captured the older man in a hug.

"Can you say that a second time?" Will asked. "The second part."

"You are right in front of me, William." Smith repeated, one hand patting on the younger man's back as Will silently cried closing his eyes clenching on the back of his tunic. Will fought back a sniffle, he fought back a sob, as his breath was hitched being _acknowledged_ by Smith and heard the man chuckle. "You can't ignore a very real red head that easily."

Will laughed then withdrew.

"My Lord, William, you look so old." Then he paused for a moment. "It suits you."

"Why do you look like you are in your later fifties, Doctor Smith?" Will asked. "Where did you get all those scars from?"

"Let's say a year ago Link went into a pit of snapping lizards for our blazers that we had created. . . And they were quite vicious." Smith became silent as he looked on distantly, yet haunted, at a long passed moment. "We were being chased by a space big foot and Robon wasn't there when we needed him the most and I was unarmed but he was so I got him out and tried to follow. The ground gave out beneath me and--"

"They attacked you."

"He left me to get Dina and the monster chased after him. I only recall blacking out. I had dropped my blazer. . . And then I awoke in a cavern surrounded by these bizarre natives, Craig staring at in shock aiming a blazer, Link standing between me and him, and Dina shrieking at Craig. Told me that they regenerated my skin, my heart, and my age for my valiant effort with no strings attached. Said that I only had thirty years to spend and I am going to spend it wisely!"

Smith grinned from ear to ear.

"So you can live until you're like eighty? Ninety?"

"Yes."

"That's immortality, Doctor Smith."

"That is not the case!" Smith's blue eyes flashed open.

"Doctor Smith, if you can't die for thirty years by any natural causes, unnatural causes, or attacks, that stands for immortality."

"I wouldn't call it immortality."

"What do you call it then?"

"A natural life span."

Will looked upon Smith quite incredulous.

"People live way past their hundreds--"

"No," Smith held his hand up. "Don't try to persuade me to try expanding my own life span with advanced medicine, William." He lowered his hand with a scowl and linked it behind his back. "Because that won't work; they already tried. I am only going to enjoy the thirty years I lost from my breakdown.'

"Speaking of your break down. . . Did Link tell you all of the adventures?"

"No, he did not."

"I am sorry that I failed to help you." Will apologized to the quite older man. "You spent several years in a coma because I didn't place it at the right place and it really makes my chest tight just looking back at that."

Will lowered his head in shame then Smith reached his hand out and put it on the younger man's shoulder.

"I forgive you for that." Were unexpected words that came from the older man. "You tried to help me go with what little dignity I had behind, William." Will lifted his head up toward Smith, surprised, as the older man gave his shoulder a squeeze. "That is the thought that counts."

Will smiled, his thoughts eased.

" _I_ should be the one apologizing to you." Smith said withdrawing his hand. "I took away your childhood. All ten years of it."

"Why do you feel the need to apologize?" Will asked.

"I did something I shouldn't have for a price and I regret it doing it every day."

Smith braced himself for the supposed fury that would come from the man, clenching his hands in his lap, waiting for the shouting, the lash of rage and fury, for a dressing down. The only thing he could feel was shame for his actions.

"Your family suffered every day for thirty-three years because of me at the lowest of my mental health and I want to make up for that by turning myself in soon as possible to the authorities. You're saints and that's just how a Smith repays people like that after having wronged them."

Smith turned away from Will, hurt by his own actions, and his mistake then started to walk on.

"You have suffered enough." Will's hand landed on Smith's shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. 

Smith turned back toward Will as his entire demeanor changed to fury, cold, and icy.

"William, I suffered not one moment in my little imaginary world because I had comfort. _You_ suffered, not **I**. Not one moment did I suffer in any _meaningful_ way!"

Smith pointed against his chest for emphasis then lowered his hand and linked it behind his back.

"I imagined myself to be a capable man capable of adapting to whatever is thrown at me." He looked aside with a sigh, briefly closed his eyes, then shook his head. "But," Smith turned his attention upon Will. "we know that very painfully that I am not that kind of man. I will never change. I won't change. I'll always be the greedy, foolish, and mean little man when I don't get what I want. You don't really know me. You only know a shadow."

"Are you even a doctor?"

"I failed medicine." 

"Okay."

"My Great Aunt Maude had the records changed for the sole purpose of money." His voice grew more quiet and solemn.

"So you _did_ have a Great Aunt Maude."

"I did." Smith nodded, slowly, but curtly. "Doctor Smith is someone's title, a colonel is what I am not, I am a fraud. All that I am is someone from the wrong gene pool thrown into the prestigious pool." Then he sighed with much regret finishing his comment. "The only thing that I am good at is being a psychologist."

"What about mom's problem?"

"Heart attack is all I can guess. Sudden fall, arm aching, lethargy."

"So there was nothing wrong with her?"

"William, there has never been anything wrong with her asides to being prone of dying by a stroke at her spry age. And if I did tell her the truth," he winced motioning toward the happy reunited family then shifted his attention upon the younger man. "Do you think that she will believe a fraud?"

"No." Will said. "But I knew it all along."

Smith bobbed up looking up toward the younger man.

"What?" Smith exclaimed. "You knew this all along---"

"If you were a very experienced colonel then you would have never had a nervous breakdown and you would had good stress coping skills."

"Do the others know?"

"They don't suspect a thing."

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" Smith requested gesturing toward the happily chatting family catching up with the other and Dina was in the ambulance resting on the cot as she were being tested for diseases with medical equipment. "For their sake, let them all think that a colonel did it and not a fraud who got through every red tape into Alpha Control's inner circle."

"I think that is easy to do."

"Good." Smith turned away then began to walk on

"On one condition!"

Smith stopped in his tracks then turned back toward Will who held his index finger up.

"Good heavens, what could it possibly be?" Smith's brows furrowed.

"That you take night classes and actually take the time to learn to be a medical doctor." Will said. " _That_ is your suffering."

"No!" Smith's brows rose at once as his eyes flashed open. "That is bloody, unsanitary, and so gruesome!" Smith shook his head. "I am not fit to be a doctor! Being active and sore at the end of the day is not in my nature!"

"Neither is flying from planet to planet searching for Alpha Centauri, Doctor Smith." Will's glare was icy upon the older man as he reminded him. "We were supposed to be colonists not explorers."

"Another regret of mine." Smith winced, apologetically.

"If you turn yourself in then I will tell everyone that you're a fraud." Will replied.

"Fine, I will do it but I won't like it!" Smith finally gave in to Will's request throwing his hands up into the air.

Will smiled, satisfied.

"So, what do your friends call you?"

Smith glared back at Will.

"We're not friends, William. We're strangers." Smith reminded the younger man. "Just call me Doctor Smith."

"If we're strangers then how did you make a nearly accurate version of me in your mind?" Will asked, studying the older man.

"People are NOT that kind! Nobody is that kind! That's a fantasy." Smith pointed out toward the young boy. "You just tolerated me because I was _mentally ill_. Nothing more."

"That was the fantasy version," Will agreed as he acknowledged the older man's comment. "Except; how did you know that I wanted to be a knight when I was a kid?"

Smith stared incredulously at Will then the younger man shook his head, shrugged, including shaking his hands as he got the point.

"I have only known a hallucination for three years . . . But, I would like to get to know _you,_ the real you, dearly." Smith twiddled his fingers in his lap then watched him withdraw as if preparing for a blatant and stinging rejection. "If you allow for it. If you want it."

Will snickered upon the older man.

"We are almost the same age, Doctor Smith." Will reminded. "And we're not lost in space, we are in civilization, so I don't see the harm in starting a genuine friendship on a place that you are new to but I am not. How about I be your guide for your vacation on here?"

"I don't trust ships."

"You don't have to see them."

"No. I don't want to EVER be on one again. I am never ever doing that again! Unless maser beaming gets developed to effortlessly transport people from planet then I am not leaving this planet aaaaannny tiiiiiiiime sooon!"

"What's a maser beam?"

"It's a --- . . that was my imagination, was it not?"

"Yes."

"Then I can't explain what a maser beam is."

"Dad!"

"Yes, Zachary?"

"The family ride broke down during the trip."

"Take this and put it underneath the glove compartment." Will handed a device to Zachary and he bolted from the scene as Smith stared in awe, his eyes getting wet, as Will turned away from the boy.

"Are you okay, Doctor Smith?"

"You named your son after me."

"It was the appropriate thing to do."

"After I stowed away on your ship and sabotaged the weight?"

"He did sabotage a good delivery day by coming out legs first." Smith's brows arched up even further. "He has been wearing that name very well."

Smith's hand slid the strap to his bag up to his shoulder as he laughed and Will went on about the things that his son had gotten into. Don was away from the crowd as he looked on seeing the impossible happen. The older man was _hearing_ Will. It was as unexpected as it was thought of. Something was so impossible in the beginning but it was so possible.

Robot was quiet, yet happy, alongside while the duo. And Robon was fielding questions from the press in front of the blue painted wood. Craig slipped out of the crowd of Robinsons to the people with a grin of his own with gray hair that would go away with time and be replaced by darker hair to what it had been before. Craig filled in the questions.

"Well, I will be damned." Don said from afar. "A perfectly sane and happy Smith. It feels like I am living a dream."

"It's not a dream." Judy said. "Even though it should be."

"It's really beautiful." Don said. "He can hear us."

"Don, if he is going to keep that then you and I are going to need to throw around our weight with the government." John reminded. "And the President."

Don turned toward the very well aged and grayed professor.

"Anything to keep him at the top of his mental health for good this time." Don said.

All the details would be figured out in due time of Smith's living arrangements, but what mattered now was that the Robinsons were whole and every member of the Jupiter 2 crew were back in the solar system on the same planet. That was the part which mattered. The other part that mattered? Smith heard them.

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I send all of the Robinsons new family members that were created up to 2020 back to the solar system? 
> 
> Yes.
> 
> And the reboot? Well, that ends up being the Lost in Space: The Robinsons unaired pilot but instead it gets a full five seasons with Craig as John Robinson and one of Don's relatives as Don West. I mean, those two actors bore a uncanny resemblance to the OS characters.


End file.
